IN HONOUR of International Women’s Day, the worthwhile initiative founded by actress and house ambassador Charlize Theron – the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) – has collaborated with Christian Dior Parfums to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of vulnerable young women in South Africa.
Charlize Theron with Christian Dior Parfums are backing Lucinda Evans’s Heal Our Women initiative and funding a Youth Scholarship Program. Photograph: Paolo Kudacki
Supporting the organisation since 2021, Christian Dior Parfums is committed to improving the lives of such disadvantaged women by implementing better health and safety conditions, fostering autonomy and leadership within communities and driving quality of opportunity. The Youth Leaders Scholarship Program signals this commitment, acting as a lifeline for future changemakers to receive a college education free of financial burden.
The support of Dior is, in Charlize Theron’s eyes, perfectly aligned with CTAOP’s core values. “I can’t remember a time that I haven’t been a part of the Dior family,” she says. “I think the house of Dior had a real interest in what I was doing through CTAOP. We introduced them to some of the partners, making them aware of the incredible work that was being done and just needed more resources. I think it was a no-brainer for them: this was something that they wanted to be a part of”.
Charlize Theron with Christian Dior Parfums are backing Lucinda Evans’s Heal Our Women initiative and funding a Youth Scholarship Program. Photograph: Verity Fitzergerald
The South African native knew that she would always give back to her home country, to ‘work with female leaders’, and ‘bring communities together’, which only made Dior’s involvement all the more invaluable. So, this International Women’s Day, Christian Dior Parfums have announced the extension of its patronage, building on the Youth Scholarship Program that is already making a tangible difference in the lives of the country’s young women.
In addition, they are backing a PAB ‘Heal Our Women’ initiative led by activist Lucinda Evans, which has taken hold in an area previously dominated by crime, drugs and gender-based violence. The compound offers a haven of protection and advocacy for women, providing after-school programs for children, emergency care for newborns, nutritious meals and artistic therapy to help process trauma.
Without sufficient support or acknowledgement from the South African government, CTAOP and Dior Beauty’s collaborative efforts are not only a touching demonstration of human sustainability, solidarity and sisterhood, but are instrumental in instigating a fundamental shift in the lives of struggling women.
Charlize Theron with Christian Dior Parfums are backing Lucinda Evans’s Heal Our Women initiative and funding a Youth Scholarship Program. Photograph: Verity Fitzergerald
And to those fighting their own battles? Charlize Theron’s message is simple yet impactful. ‘I want to tell women: we see you, we hear you, we’re going to stick together and we’re going to figure this out together. I want to tell women that they’re not alone.’
Her project comes with a holistic ‘strength in numbers’ approach, and with Dior’s tremendous support, CTAOP’s Executive Director Ashlee George, affirms that together, they can assist female changemakers in forging their own paths, “We want to be catalysts for change – it’s not just how are we making a difference today, it’s how do we make a difference for years to come as well.”
by Ella O’Gorman