THE seven laureates of the Cartier Women’s Initiative have been announced. The seven women, picked from a pool of 1200 applicants from over 162 countries were selected by an independent international jury committee. The chosen ones are making significant positive changes through encouraging well-being, fighting against inequalities in society, sustainability in both society structurally and socially as well as promoting a healthier balance of consumption and production.
In the world we are living in today, as a global community we have realised that the past ways of living have been unhealthy and unjust for many, so these women are leading the change into our new normal. Additionally, two of the laureate winners of this year are a Danish and Australian women – this is a first since the launch of this initiative in 2006.
One of the seven laureates, Adriana Luna Diaz of Tierra de Monte
Regarding the significant changes in our daily lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the financial sector has taken a particularly large hit in every country. The 21 Cartier Women’s Initiative fellows are mostly in early stages of their careers as entrepreneurs, so they are experiencing extreme hardships and obstacles they need to get over in order to survive.
These women have shown a courageous effort and ability to either alter their businesses or leveraged their business models to adjust to the new financial environment.
Temie Giwa Tubosun of LifeBank
The President and CEO of Cartier International Cyrille Vigneron says, “As an international luxury Maison, we are global citizens, aware of and listening to the wider world. More than ever, we remain committed to use our voice and actively support those who are trying to make the world a better place, which is the case of these outstanding women entrepreneurs. It has been incredibly inspiring to witness their determination, resilience and creativity. We are immensely proud of their work, and thankful for their global contribution to our society.”
The seven laureates of the 2020 edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative: Adriana Luna Diaz of Tierra de Monte, Stephanie Benedetto of Queen of Raw, Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen of Female Invest, Temie Giwa-Tubosun of LifeBank, Nadia Gamal El Din of Rahet Bally, Chunguang Wang of Equota Energy Shanghai Co Ltd and Joanne Howarth of Woolpack Australia – Planet Protector Packaging.
by Imogen Clark