Cartier CEO and President Cyril Vigneron delivered a speech at the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2024 Awards Ceremony held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on May 22.
Group photo at the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2024 Awards Ceremony held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on May 22.
The awards ceremony for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, an international entrepreneurship program that has been held annually for 18 years, was held in China for the first time this year. The ceremony took place on May 22 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the center of entrepreneurship and innovation in China.
Cartier has a long-standing commitment to women’s empowerment, and the Prize provides female entrepreneurs with financial, social and human capital support to help them grow their businesses and build their leadership skills.
To date, the initiative has supported 330 women entrepreneurs from 66 countries, providing a cumulative $9.5 million in funding to awardees.
The annual programme featured 11 awards, including nine regional and two thematic awards, bringing the total number of winners to 33. This year’s theme again focused on “Forces for Good”, signalling the programme’s ambition to strengthen the ties that bind communities.
“China has become one of the most vibrant countries for entrepreneurship in general, and female social entrepreneurs in particular. It was a natural fit to hold a Cartier Women’s Initiative event in China,” said Cyril Vigneron, CEO and president of Cartier, who attended the awards ceremony in Shenzhen.
“Moreover, China has developed strong programs to support women’s entrepreneurship in recent years, playing its role in jointly achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030,” Vigneron said.
Ms. Vigneron said women are key agents of development and change and that women’s empowerment is essential to building just, inclusive and peaceful societies.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative contributes to this global effort, providing winners with not only financial support but also the skills, knowledge, mentorship and networks they need to succeed.
This year, there are 33 fellows from various regions, two of whom are Chinese. Yu Xiaodan, an experienced underwear designer, has developed a bra suitable for post-surgery breast cancer patients.
Her company, Ginger Ah, which was founded in 2021, offers more reasonable prices than similar products on the market and has sold more than 10,000 bras to about 5,000 consumers so far. Yu said she next plans to expand her production line to more diversified products, such as sports underwear, swimwear and home clothing.
Another Chinese national is Du Xintong, founder and CEO of Voice-Changer, which provides offline and online therapy and rehabilitation services for children with speech disorders.
Since its establishment in 2016, the company has trained approximately 1,300 speech therapists. It provides online courses and services at speech centers across the country and has helped more than 8,000 children aged 2 to 16 regain normal expressive abilities. The average recovery time for patients is 1-3 months, compared to the industry average of 6-12 months.
“Women have always played a pivotal role at Cartier, acting as a driving force and an endless source of inspiration. We are committed to supporting women’s empowerment through diverse and long-term initiatives,” Vigneron said.
The company also said it is committed to empowering female leaders, including appointing female CEOs in regions including China, Japan and South Korea.
In addition to this effort, Vigneron noted that through Cartier Philanthropies, “we will help improve the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, with a special focus on women and girls, enabling them to live the lives they deserve.”
Meanwhile, Cartier, which has longstanding ties with China, plans to further strengthen its ties with the country by launching a program in collaboration with the Beijing-based Cheung Kong Graduate School of Management.
Based on the framework of the Cartier Women’s Initiative and focusing on leadership and empowerment, the customized program aims to support women entrepreneurs in China by strengthening their business strategies and governance, while also helping them explore innovative approaches to business development for women and increase their positive contributions to society.
“Through joint content planning and research collaboration, this unique partnership will provide a national perspective on women entrepreneurship research and contribute to strengthening the long-term social and environmental impact of women’s businesses,” Vignon said.
Additionally, following its partnership with the Women’s Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, Cartier is also partnering with the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, reaffirming its declaration that “when women thrive, humanity thrives.”
The upcoming pavilion will bear the same name and ambition and will highlight women’s contributions to society, based on the belief that women’s full and equal participation in all sectors is essential to building a more equitable world.
“Previously, World Expos have showcased pavilions from different countries, but gender inequality remains a reality in most countries, meaning that if an Expo only showcases countries, it doesn’t represent the whole world. That’s why we need a dedicated women’s pavilion to celebrate half of humanity,” Vigneron said.
That is why, more than ever, it is vital that we join forces and harness everyone’s efforts to fight inequality and build a brighter future for future generations, he added.
