MARS EXTENDS #HERETOBEHEARD CAMPAIGN TO INDIA TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF INDIAN WOMEN AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF A GENDER-EQUAL SOCIETY

New Delhi, 5th July 2022: Mars, Incorporated today launched the India extension of its #HereToBeHeard campaign. In 2021, Mars asked 10,000 women in 88 countries across intersections – race, age, sexuality, employment status, disability and more – one question: What needs to change so that more women can reach their full potential? The respondents, including 250 from India, called for systematic change from employers, colleagues, government, communities and men to break the patriarchal barriers in their path to growth and success.

Mars plans to expand this research in India by reaching out to women from different walks of life and taking in consideration all intersections of society: age, occupation, caste, cultural backgrounds and more who will be asked the same question. LeadCap Ventures, a leading global research, advisory, & consulting firm would be helping in conducting the research.

Kalpesh Parmar, Country General Manager, Mars Wrigley, India, said, “For generations, women have fulfilled many roles to the exclusion of what they stand for as individuals. Education and awareness have shifted that mindset, but deep-rooted ideologies persist even in evolved societies. Even today, women, irrespective of their backgrounds and upbringing, face bias and discrimination. It is necessary to voice women’s opinions and advocate their desire for a better, more inclusive society. We plan to do that by extending our #HereToBeHeard campaign in India. Mars believes that ‘The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today’ and this includes advocating for an inclusive society. We invite women to respond to the survey so we can amplify it to help organizations, government bodies, communities and people understand what changes the women of India are seeking. The responses will inform the concrete actions Mars will undertake – within its value chain and in the broader society – to close the gender opportunity gap.”

Mitch Oliver, Global Purpose Vice President, Mars, said, “At Mars, the world we want tomorrow is one that is inclusive. We know that, for the world to make progress socially, culturally and economically, it is essential that women’s voices and actions are heard and can contribute equally. However, as World Economic Forum, it will still take 136 years for women to have equal rights. #HereToBeHeard was launched to accelerate that timeframe by amplifying the voices of all women from around the world, asking them one question “What will it take for women to reach their full potential?”. I’m very excited to extend this campaign to women in India. We need to hear from them to help Mars Incorporated, our peers and society at large accelerate the journey to gender equality. I urge women to share their voices through this campaign so together we can advance gender equality and create a world where society is inclusive.”

The research would also be amplified through social media influencers to increase reach and secure large numbers of responses from women across cities. To reach a wider range of audience, celebrated actor and social media influencer, Dolly Singh joins Mars on board. Sharing her excitement, she said, "I'm so happy to be a part of the #HereToBeHeard campaign. It is great working with a brand that is working towards women empowerment and striving to make a positive change."

Currently, women make up 49.5% of the world’s population and could contribute $28 trillion to the global GDP if their full potential was realised, and yet so often their voices go unheard. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the United Nations estimated that it would take more than a century to close the gender opportunity gap. Now, the pandemic has set progress for gender equality back by a further 25 years. Its impact has been particularly devastating for women in minority groups who for long have been overlooked in the conversation.

In the initial phase of #HeretoBeHeard, women’s opinions will be collected over three months after which the submissions will be analysed by LeadCap Research. The results will be shared widely in a report and will inform the action plans and policies of MARS as part of its advocacy and commitment to unlock opportunities for women.

ABOUT #HERETOBEHEARD:

#HereToBeHeard is a global campaign from Mars, Incorporated which drives change on gender inequality, in support of Goal Five of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. It is part of Full Potential, Mars' platform for action on gender which aims to empower women and close the gender gap in the places we work, the communities where we source our ingredients and in the way we create our advertising. For more information on the Full Potential platform and the #HereToBeHeard survey, visit beheard.mars.com and mars.com

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED:

For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This common purpose unites our 140,000+ Associates. It is at the center of who we are as a global, family-owned business, and it fuels how we are transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world.

Every year, our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services delight millions of people and support millions of pets. With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including Ben’s Original™, CESAR®, Cocoavia®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, KIND NA, M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, and WHISKAS®. We are creating a better world for pets through nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing, pet welfare and comprehensive veterinary care with AniCura, BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus and VCA™.

We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to act every day to help create a better world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

In India, Mars has over 1,000 Associates across its business segments - Mars Wrigley, Mars Petcare, Royal Canin and Mars Foods, and operates four manufacturing units.