COVID, conflict and climate change are among a confluence of challenges driving a tsunami of poverty that is already crashing into the lives of vulnerable people and communities around the world. This briefing explores these trends and the role businesses can and should play.
WELCOME | ONLINE
1.30 - 2.00 PM BST
8.30 - 9.00 AM ET
What are the poverty drivers and priorities for business action?
Welcome by Zahid and Yvette Torres-Rahman, Founders, Business Fights Poverty
Followed by a Fireside Chat with:
Jane Nelson, Director, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
Jason Channell, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Finance, Citi Global Insights
WEBINAR | ONLINE
2.00 - 3.00 PM BST
9.00 - 10.00 AM ET
How can businesses tackle the new wave of poverty?
This session explored the role business can play in tackling the new wave of poverty. What are the current poverty trends, and how businesses can use a multidimensional approach to poverty to respond? What is the role of collaborative action to tackle the deep systemic issues that drive poverty? Why should businesses take action and what lessons have we learned that could help others take action?
Speakers:
Anouk Heilen, Global Sustainability Director, Social Equity and Inclusion, Unilever
Jamie Coats, Co-Founder, SOPHIA Oxford
Catalina Garcia, Global Director of Corporate Affairs, AB InBev and Board Director, AB InBev Foundation
Pablo Del Valle, Citi Country Officer, Citi Colombia
Katie Hyson, Director, Thought Leadership, Business Fights Poverty (moderator)
*** INTERVAL ***
WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE
3.30 - 5.00 PM BST
10.30 AM - 12.00 PM ET
How do we work together to tackle multidimensional poverty?
This session explored how we can work together - across business, government and civil society to tackle multidimensional poverty. How does your organisation think about poverty in your sustainability strategies and what lessons have you learnt about measuring progress? How does your organisation take action in tackling poverty and what lessons have you learnt from success or failure about having an effective impact? What examples of partnerships are you working in to tackle poverty, and what have you learnt about the factors behind a successful / unsuccessful partnership?
Lead Discussants:
Clive Allison, Global Sustainability Director, TRANSFORM, Unilever
Ian White, Special Representative, UK & Ireland, The World Bank
Myriam Sidibé, Founder, Brands on a Mission
Pamela Molina, Manager, CSR, Agrolibano
Tijana Williams, Director, NTD Access Programmes, Global Health, GSK
Valeria Gomez Palacios, Nicaragua, Co-Founder, Global Emergency Response and Assistance, One Young World and European Commission Peace Ambassador
WELCOME | ONLINE
1.30 - 2.00 PM BST
8.30 - 9.00 AM ET
How can business tackle inequality?
Hosted with WBCSD
Welcome by Zahid and Yvette Torres-Rahman, Founders, Business Fights Poverty
Followed by a Fireside Chat with the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality
Peter Bakker, President and CEO, WBCSD
Ilham Kadri. CEO Solvay and Chair, WBCSD
Yvette Torres-Rahman, Co-Founder & CFO, Business Fights Poverty
WEBINAR | ONLINE
2.00 - 3.00 PM BST
9.00 - 10.00 AM ET
How can business support the economic inclusion of LGBTI people and persons with disabilities in emerging markets?
This session, hosted with IFC, explored how business can support the economic inclusion of LGBTI people and persons with disabilities in emerging markets. What are some recent examples businesses focusing on the inclusion of LGBTI people and persons with disabilities as employees and as customers, and what is driving this? What are some good practices that others can adopt? What are some lessons learned on this inclusion journey, and what more does the business community need to do? The session drew on new research by IFC on the role of inclusive banking in supporting employees and customers. Available at www.ifc.org/lgbti and www.ifc.org/disability
Hosted with IFC
Speakers:
Fiona MacDonald, Diversity & Inclusion Lead,Talent & Culture, ANZ
Kelly Widelska, Economic Inclusion Advisor,
IFC
Philip Crehan, Founder, Eolas Consulting and Senior Advisor, Center for Values in International Development
Simon Brown, Senior Global Technical Lead for Economic Empowerment, Sightsavers
Rudaba Zehra Nasir, Global Lead, Economic Inclusion, IFC (moderator)
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WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE
3.30 - 5.00 PM BST
10.30 AM - 12.00 PM ET
What difference does tackling restrictive gender norms make to micro-enterprise and other social impact programmes?
Hosted with Hand in Hand International
Gender norms restrict the lives of women and girls across the world. Drawing on new research and key learnings from micro-enterprise programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Afghanistan, we demonstrated how practical interventions that challenge accepted attitudes can empower women to earn and control their own incomes and have their say in and outside the home.
At this hybrid interactive session we found out why tackling gender norms is worthwhile and the practical interventions needed to empower women and support women's micro-enterprises.
Lead Discussants:
Aatif Somji, Senior Research Officer, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, ODI
Amalia Johnsson, Director of Programmes, Hand in Hand International
Dorothea Arndt, CEO, Hand in Hand
Jane Sabuni, CEO, Hand in Hand
Elizabeth Githinji,
Customer Development, Leader-Maua
Mars Wrigley
WELCOME | ONLINE
1.30 - 2.00 PM BST
8.30 - 9.00 AM ET
How do we build a living wage movement?
Welcome by Zahid and Yvette Torres-Rahman, Founders, Business Fights Poverty
Followed by a Fireside Chat with:
Marina Leal, Sustainability and Human Rights Manager, Natura &Co
Anna Barford, Prince of Wales Fellow in Pathways to a Circular Economy, supported by Unilever, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Annabel Beales, Director, Learning and Engagement, Business Fights Poverty
WEBINAR | ONLINE
2.00 - 3.00 PM BST
9.00 - 10.00 AM ET
How do we apply a climate justice lens to build business and community resilience?
This session, hosted with Change by Degrees, explored how businesses can put people at the heart of their climate actions. What does climate justice as a term mean, and what is the latest thinking on equity, justice and climate resilience? How can a climate justice approach based on participation and human rights enable the communities to be at the forefront of solutions? What have we learnt about the action businesses can take, individually and in partnership with others?
Hosted with Change by Degrees
Speakers:
Andrew Hunt, Co-Founder and CEO, Aduna
Tara Shine, Co-CEO, Change by Degrees
Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Founder and CEO, The Green Protector
Sheena Susan Varghese, President, High-Range Organic Woman Fairtrade Farmers’ Association (HOWFFA)
Alice Allan, Collaboration Director, Business Fights Poverty (moderator)
*** INTERVAL ***
WORKSHOP
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE
3.30 - 5.00 PM BST
10.30 AM - 12.00 PM ET
How can business best support the livelihoods of refugees?
This session, hosted with Visa, explored how businesses can best support the livelihoods of refugees. What models of engagement of the business community to support refugees in the immediate and longer-term are showing promise and can be scaled? What is needed to take action to the next level, what are the bottlenecks and how can we overcome them?
Hosted with Visa Inc
Lead Discussants:
Noor Alkasseer, Arabic Language Partner, NaTakallam
Hamze Ghalebi, Founder and CEO, Remotion and former President, SINGA
Katherine Brown, VP, Inclusive Impact, Visa Inc
Michel Botzung, Manager, IFC
Scarlet Cronin, Senior Director of Global Partnerships, Tent