GODIVA SHINES A LIGHT ON WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH THE 2022 GLOBAL HONOREES OF THE LADY GODIVA INITIATIVE

Five Transformative NGOs Are Recognized by Iconic Chocolatier For Their Inspirational Work In Uplifting Women In Their Communities: Womenpreneur (Belgium), Canadian Women's Foundation (Canada), AFAWI: Alliance For African Women Initiative (Ghana), Young Women's Trust (U.K.), and Step Up (U.S.)

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GODIVA, the global leader in premium chocolate, announces the 2022 global honorees of The Lady GODIVA Initiative. Five non-government organizations (NGOs) are being recognized by GODIVA for their transformative work in elevating women's empowerment and female entrepreneurship in their communities -- Belgium, Canada, U.K., U.S., and Ghana, a country that is key to the Company's cocoa value chain.  Each organization will receive a financial grant and join a growing list of female forward NGOs who have benefitted from being selected as one of The Lady GODIVA Initiative honorees.

GODIVA honors the important work and exemplary contributions being made by these NGOs in empowering women with this recognition. The Lady GODIVA Initiative honorees for 2022 are: Womenpreneur (Belgium), Canadian Women's Foundation (Canada), AFAWI: Alliance for African Women Initiative (Ghana), Young Women's Trust (U.K.), and Step Up (U.S.).

"We are extremely proud of this remarkable group of NGOs who are providing positive impactful change for women in their region of the world," said Nurtac Ziyal Afridi, Global CEO, GODIVA. "Our signature social impact initiative is dedicated to elevating the inspiring transformations each of these organizations are bringing to their communities. We believe that by continuing to provide global visibility and engagement from our GODIVA community, we are paving a path to help these organizations uphold their missions to champion women around the world. Their outstanding efforts are in keeping with GODIVA's mission to open people's eyes to a more wonderful world in the hope of crafting a better tomorrow."

The Lady GODIVA Initiative honors the legacy of GODIVA's namesake, Lady Godiva, who led the way to empower the people of her community and paved a path that GODIVA continues to walk today. Whether uplifting women out of economic instability through training, finding financial justice through careers in tech and entrepreneurship, providing a pathway for women, girls, and gender-diverse people out of violence and poverty, or providing structured programs and support to help girls lead with confidence, these organizations are recognized for the positive impact they are making in their regions. 

Each year, GODIVA selects a small and prestigious group of organizations under a selective vetting process. All organizations being considered are reviewed to ensure they fall under the criteria of having female focused missions with programs that drive forward gender equality, women's empowerment, and female entrepreneurship.  Providing support for diverse groups of women is an essential element of GODIVA's signature program. GODIVA's employees are central to the selection process and cast the final vote to choose the Initiative's yearly class of honorees.

This is just one important step in GODIVA's continuous journey to give back, inspired by Lady Godiva's quest more than 1,000 years ago to create a world where we are all appreciated and valued for our inherent worth.

For more information about the Lady GODIVA Initiative, and to learn more about this year's winners, visit us at www.godiva.com/lady-godiva-initiative.

Belgium: Womenpreneur: Womenpreneur is a leading women's empowerment organization serving underserved women globally. Womenpreneur works across Europe and the MENA region to lift women out of economic instability through career opportunities in tech and entrepreneurship. It started out as a program supporting 10 women in 2016 and has grown to over 16,000 women across Belgium and beyond. To learn more, visit https://womenpreneur-initiative.com/ 

The Canadian Women's Foundation is a national leader in the movement for gender equality in Canada. Through funding, research, advocacy, and knowledge sharing, they work to achieve systemic change. They support women, girls, and gender-diverse people to move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. To learn more, visit   https://canadianwomen.org/ 

Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI) is a grassroots organization that supports, uplifts and empowers women and children in our communities in Ghana. AFAWI is committed to building the capacities of marginalized individuals in Ghana. Their advocacy builds sustainable outcomes, and they train community members to take control of their own development and to pass on their skills and expertise to peers. To learn more, visit https://www.afawigh.org/

Young Women's Trust supports and represents women aged 18 to 30 trapped by low or no pay and facing a lifetime of poverty. Young women are at the center of the charity's work: leading, designing and participating. Young Women's Trust's core mission – achieving financial justice for young women through equal economic and employment opportunities – has never been more important, as young women come out of a pandemic into the cost-of-living crisis and face a 22% gap in their annual income compared to young men. To learn more, visit https://www.youngwomenstrust.org/

Success is subjective. No one destination fits all – so why would one path fit all? Step Up believes girls deserve to define and pursue success on their terms. By bringing girls together in inspired spaces – on and offline – Step Up sparks exploration and discussion of what's possible. With structured support and access to a strong community, the mentorship non-profit guides girls towards their unique goals: first, by identifying those goals and then, in building the roadmap to get there. Whether there is college, an internship, a network, or simply confidence – Step Up's there for it and there for girls. To learn more, visit www.suwn.org

GODIVA Chocolatier, the global leader in premium chocolate, was founded in Brussels in 1926 by Belgian Chocolatier, Pierre Draps. Today, the iconic brand, which is privately held by Yildiz Holding, is committed to democratizing its premium chocolates so that everyone can enjoy the world's most delicious chocolate whenever they like. With an established global footprint across more than 100 markets, GODIVA continues to extend its reach through an omnichannel approach, quickly expanding beyond formal gifting by investing in consumer-packaged goods as well as online sales. As GODIVA delivers upon its promise of "opening people's eyes to a more wonderful world," customers can expect to find GODIVA in many fine retailers, supermarkets, drug stores, online, and, depending on the market, at brick & mortar locations like boutiques, cafes, and GODIVA Delight, too. For GODIVA, being a responsible corporate citizen is a way of doing business. It's a promise the business keeps with every stakeholder: to take action today for a brighter tomorrow. To optimize its impact, and in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, GODIVA focuses its efforts on Women's Empowerment and Sustainability. To learn more, visit GODIVA Cares.

SOURCE GODIVA Chocolatier