GODIVA defends the empowerment of women with The Lady GODIVA Initiative

Five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profit organizations are recognized for their contributions to the empowerment of women in the first class of Laureates of the Lady GODIVA initiative. GODIVA, the world leader in premium chocolate, presents these individual awards to NGOs and non-profit organizations based in five of GODIVA’s global markets: US, Canada, UK, Belgium and China.

The 2021 recipients include Hot Bread Kitchen (US), Up With Women (Canada), #SheDIDIT (Belgium), China Women’s Development Foundation (China) and AVA: Against Violence and Abuse (UK). Whether it’s supporting women through transformative careers in food, building a sustainable path out of poverty, or helping end gender-based violence and abuse, these organizations are recognized and rewarded by GODIVA for their work to empower women and have a positive impact on their local communities.

Each organization will receive a monetary grant to help them continue their work as well as the global visibility and engagement of the GODIVA global community.

“GODIVA’s commitment to supporting local and global communities, and fostering a culture that champions diversity, equity and inclusion, is at the heart of our brand,” said Nurtac Ziyal Afridi, CEO of GODIVA. “We are honored to support these inspiring organizations taking important steps to empower women around the world. Our employees selected these recipients based on the noble efforts of each organization to improve the lives of women in their communities. They deserve to be recognized and acclaimed for their valuable contributions to society.

These grants honor the legacy of GODIVA’s namesake, Lady Godiva. In her famous equestrian mission, Lady Godiva paved the way for empowering members of her community and forged a path that GODIVA continues to walk today. For more information on the Lady GODIVA Initiative and to find out more about this year’s winners, visit the GODIVA website.