Secret Deodorant, Serena Williams partner to progress gender equality
Secret Deodorant has a new partnership in its midst’s.
The personal care brand announced that it would be partnering with Serena Williams in order to further progress gender equality, as well as a pledge of $1 million to support equality programs.
“It’s very important to me that I use my platform to bring attention to the many issues faced by women in sports and to call for meaningful change. The Secret brand has been answering that very call for years by taking real action to support female athletes,” Williams said. “Sports changed my life and I feel compelled to continue giving back to ensure a brighter future for women in sports. I am incredibly honored to join forces with Secret and look forward to partnering closely to further the fight for gender equality for all athletes.”
As part of the partnership, Williams and the Cincinnati-based brand are conducting a study on gender inequality in sports to explore gender bias and how it surfaces at different levels of play from high school athletics to professional sports, the company said.
“There are so many issues women have to sweat — from fewer opportunities, balancing a burgeoning career with family plans, to earning wages that are fair and sustainable,” Sara Saunders, associate brand director at Secret said. “In partnership with Serena — one of the world’s foremost athletes and an icon of strength — we are eager to further explore into how these inequalities play out in sports and work together to effect tangible progress.”
During 2019, Secret made a significant donation to the United States Women’s National Team Players’ Association to close the gender pay gap in soccer, purchased and donated more than 9,000 tickets to the National Women’s Soccer League to equalize game attendance and boost team revenues, made a commitment to the next generation of female athletes by supporting the Girls Leading Girls organization and publicly backed soccer star Carli Lloyd’s NFL ambitions, the company added.
“At P&G, we believe an equal world is a better world for all of us. We are committed to using our brand voices to help spark conversations, change mindsets and drive real societal change,” Carolyn Tastad, group president, North America and executive sponsor, gender equality at P&G, said. “Secret has been a strong supporter of women for decades – igniting important conversations around equality — and I am incredibly proud of the work they are doing to advance gender equality in sports and beyond.