Prada Group And UNFPA Build Unique Fashion Training Program in Ghana & Kenya

19 October, New York, Accra, and Nairobi, 2022 

UNFPA, the United Nations organisation for sexual and reproductive health, and Prada Group have formed a relationship that combines the Prada Group's leadership in the fashion sector with UNFPA's experience in promoting gender equality.

Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears is a six-month training initiative for young women in Ghana and Kenya that intends to use the social and economic power of fashion as a vehicle to promote women's empowerment and sexual and reproductive health.

The Partnership, "Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears," Seeks to Advance and Mentor Aspiring Fashion Professionals and Promote Sexual and Reproductive Health Self-determination.

The programme equips 45 participants with fashion-industry-relevant knowledge and skills and facilitates internships with local fashion firms in order to create long-term employment prospects for them. In addition, it aims to increase participants' knowledge of sexual and reproductive rights and lessen their susceptibility to gendered inequities and harmful behaviours. The pilot training programme began in May 2022 with two cohorts of young women with a love for the fashion business from Ghana and Kenya.

In 2021, UNFPA and Prada Group formalised their cooperation and began constructing this innovative training programme in conjunction with local partners International Needs (Ghana), County Government of Kitui, and the Kitui County Textile Centre (Kenya). UNFPA-Ghana and UNFPA-Kenya are collaborating with well-known local fashion firms to provide six-month industrial attachments that will lead to long-term job prospects.

UNFPA's Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Mariarosa Cutillo, said, "UNFPA is working with the creative industries to identify new approaches to assist young women from 'left behind' areas in gaining access to their rights and options in order to realise their full potential. The fashion industry provides long-term, sustainable prospects for global education and development. We are happy to debut our cooperation with Prada Group and its employees via an impactful project that focuses on women's economic inclusion, pushes the envelope for sustainable development solutions, and serves as a springboard for future collaboration."

Prada Group's Director of Marketing and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Lorenzo Bertelli, said, "This training programme underlines Prada Group's conviction in fashion as a force for good. We are thrilled to collaborate with UNFPA on this groundbreaking initiative to harness the social and economic potential of our sector to promote more inclusive and equitable society."

Malika Savell, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Prada Group, The Americas, said, "We are thrilled to continue strengthening our cooperation with UNFPA to mentor and empower the next generation of female artists via the 'Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears' initiative. It is an honour for Prada Group to contribute to the expansion of possibilities for ambitious young designers from across the globe."

Through this programme, thirty young women in Ghana and fifteen in Kenya are gaining experience and knowledge in a variety of fields, such as fashion design and production, with an emphasis on local traditions and styles, re/upcycled fashion, traditional textile design, and financial literacy, including bookkeeping, budgeting, and business management.

The programme also offers extensive teaching sessions on sexual and reproductive health, addressing issues such as menstrual health management, puberty, and adolescent pregnancy prevention. On addition, participants get training in the prevention and response to gender-based violence, enabling them to oppose harmful practises like as female genital mutilation and child marriage.

At the conclusion of their six-month industrial assignment, the trainees will present their projects in Ghana or Kenya.

About

UNFPA

UNFPA is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the United Nations. UNFPA's objective is to create a society in which all pregnancies are desired, all childbirths are safe, and all young people realise their full potential. UNFPA encourages the achievement of reproductive rights for everyone and promotes access to a variety of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, excellent maternal health care, and comprehensive sexual education.

Prada Group

Pioneer of a dialogue with contemporary society across diverse cultural spheres and a powerful leader in luxury fashion, Prada Group bases its identity on essential values such as creative independence, transformation, and sustainable development, providing its brands with a shared vision to interpret and express their spirit. The Group owns some of the most renowned luxury brands in the world, including Prada, Miu Miu, Church's, Car Shoe, the ancient Pasticceria Marchesi, and Luna Rossa, and strives to increase their value by boosting their exposure and popularity. The Group creates, produces, and distributes ready-to-wear collections, leather products, and footwear in over 70 countries via a network of 627 shops (as of 30 June 2022), as well as e-commerce platforms, select e-tailers, and department stores. The Group, which also works via licence agreements in the eyeglasses and perfumes industries, has 23 owned facilities and more than thirteen thousand people.