In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, L’OCCITANE has created its annual brand film, dedicated to empowering the next generation of women. A commitment to Empowering Women lies at the very heart of the brand, driven by a simple wish to empower women and girls to dream big, and help to provide them with resources to turn their visions into reality, both for our employees and for those we have the pleasure of meeting and supporting through our work.
The story of L’OCCITANE’s commitment to Empowering Women began in Burkina Faso in 1981 as our founder, Olivier Baussan, learned that the nuts of the shea tree are harvested exclusively by women. The L’OCCITANE Foundation was created in 2006 to drive philanthropic initiatives, particularly regarding the women of Burkina Faso through building long-term, 100% Fair-Trade partnerships to provide education for women and young girls, resources, and fair prices for the shea butter they produce. Thanks to our initiatives in Burkina Faso and more recently in Ghana, more than 42,600 women have been supported by the L’OCCITANE Foundation.
As a majority female-run business whose workforce is proudly comprised of 92% women, L’OCCITANE is deeply committed to supporting and empowering our employees in the workplace, no matter their role. With 86% of directorial positions in L’OCCITANE UK & Ireland being held by women, we appreciate the importance of flexible work arrangements for staff, to balance personal and work commitments. 2020 marked the unveiling of L’OCCITANE’s new global parental leave policy for employees worldwide which promotes equal opportunities in the workplace and fairer gender relations within the family.
• 42,600 women have been supported in Burkina Faso by the L’OCCITANE Foundation.
• We have set a new objective of empowering 60,000 women by 2025!
• L’OCCITANE have solidarity products where 100% of the profits go to charity, including charities supporting women’s empowerment
• For 3 years we have worked with local charity Women’s Aid, a charity chosen by our customers. By the end of this year, the donation to Women’s Aid will be a total of £35,000. In addition to this, we have also given product donations to the following women’s organisations: Sistah Space, Maya Centre, Solace Women’s Aid, and Refuge
• 6 out of 7 of L’OCCITANE’s Directors in the UK & Ireland are women – that’s 86%
• 90% of our staff are women
• 80% of our customers are women
At L'OCCITANE, we believe in gender equality and empowering women to achieve their goals. Our aim: to support 60,000 women in their socio-economic development by 2025.
Just like nature - free spirited, independent and bold - women are our inspiration. Celebrate the special women in your life with L'OCCITANE's Mother's Day Beauty Gifts.
Find out about L’OCCITANE’s history and devotion to bringing about lasting change, shaping a better future for people and the planet, and creating a positive change for a better world.