Unilever's Transform Initiative Empowers Women in Asia & Africa

"Transform," a pioneering program headed by Unilever in collaboration with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and EY, aims to bring together corporates, philanthropists, investors, and academics to promote innovative firms focused on women's development.

Through innovative business concepts, this public-private partnership model, founded in 2015, has already positively touched over 10 million people across Asia and Africa, including 3 million in Bangladesh.

Transform by Unilever funds over 100 programs in 17 countries and actively partners with creative firms in Bangladesh. Their projects vary from delivering inexpensive, safe drinking water via water ATM machines to combating plastic pollution through the "Refill Bangladesh" project. In addition, the "Bhumijo" initiative provides clean public restrooms and job possibilities in Dhaka.

Over the following two years, the project hopes to reach an additional five million people. Transform now provides specialized investment and business support to fifteen new businesses.

The "Digital Villages Programme," coordinated by BoPInc, is one famous program that employs technology to encourage women entrepreneurs in rural Bangladesh.

Unilever's Chief Sustainability Officer, Rebecca Marmot, emphasized the necessity of combining local creativity with the resources of major corporations, highlighting the importance of scalable solutions.

Professor Charlotte Watts, FCDO's Chief Scientific Adviser, praised Transform's creative activity and dedication to assisting businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Transform's contribution in pushing progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals via entrepreneurial will was hailed by Richard Taylor, EY's UK&I Consumer Sector Leader.