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Mary Kay Inc . continues its support of female entrepreneurship, empowerment and thought leadership as a premier sponsor for the 2020 International Women's Forum (IWF) Virtual Cornerstone Conference. Originally scheduled to take place May 13-15, in London, the conference has shifted to a digital format due to the COVID-19 pandemic; much of the same great content and speakers will be broadcast globally in a series of virtual sessions shared weekly at https://www.iwforum.org/ .

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On May 21, Mary Kay will participate in a virtual session entitled “A Conversation with TIME’S UP UK” discussing important issues such as #MeToo and how the ensuing TIME’S UP movement has led to re-thinking women’s safety on film and television sets, as well as other industries around the world. Carolyn Passey, General Manager of Mary Kay UK and Ireland, will open the session focusing on changes TIME’S UP UK is seeking to implement, navigating the line between personal and professional, and aiding those who frequently find themselves vulnerable and exploited while filming.

“At Mary Kay, we advocate for women’s empowerment and gender equality and we partner with organizations whose mission is to do the same,” said Passey. “Today, as the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating women's vulnerabilities and gender inequality¹ , we know trust and safety are more critical than ever for women to thrive. The workplace should be a safe and dignified place for all of us. How can we ensure—and demand—this happens? I look forward to the discussion on the topic with thought leaders from around the world.”

Speakers at the session include:

• Dame Heather Rabbatts, TIME’S UP UK Chair Managing Director of Cove Pictures; Chair of Soho Theatre and non-executive board member for Arts Alliance.
• Ita O’Brien, the UK’s leading Intimacy Coordinator and founder of Intimacy on Set, her company through which she has been developing best practices regarding intimacy and nudity in film, television and theatre and through which she trains Intimacy Coordinators all over the world.

“Now, more than ever, it is crucial to continue the conversation around safe and equal working conditions for women within the entertainment industry and beyond,” said Stephanie O’Keefe, CEO of IWF. “As the world develops a new way to work in the context of COVID-19, I am hopeful that there will be strategies in place to ensure women can re-enter the physical workplace with confidence they will be safe and treated equally. Mary Kay is a long-time supporter of gender equality, and we are thrilled to continue this fight with them to ensure a more gender-equal world.”

A link to watch the event will be available on the IWF website and its YouTube page May 26: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLPNS7ai1_XHaqgEnhEjtg

¹ United Nations Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, April 9, 2020
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_women_9_apr_2020_updated.pdf
and - Blog article by United Nations Foundation, Blog article from Michelle Milford Morse and Grace Anderson, April 14, 2020
https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/shadow-pandemic-how-covid19-crisis-exacerbating-gender-inequality/

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 56 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com .

About International Women’s Forum (IWF) and the Leadership Foundation

IWF is an invitation-only membership organization of more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. IWF advances women’s leadership and champions equality worldwide by connecting accomplished women both globally and locally. Members include Fortune 500 executives, government leaders from the local to sovereign level, international nonprofit leaders, and luminaries from the academy, arts and sciences. For more information, please visit www.iwforum.org .

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