EMPOWERING WOMEN

The story of L'OCCITANE and the women shea butter producers of Burkina Faso began in the 1980s. Since then, we've built up a joint development partnership and a close, supportive relationship. There were about a dozen women at first. Now there are over 10,000! And since 2009, our shea butter supply chain has been 100% Fair Trade (Fair Trade certified according to the Fair for Life standard available at www.fairforlife.org).

DID YOU KNOW?

Shea butter is called "women’s gold" in Burkina Faso.

By tradition, it is only women who harvest the shea nuts and make shea butter.

Women in Burkina Faso are the pillars of society and play a key role in the country's economic and social development.

OUR COMMITMENT

BURKINA FASO IS ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. By supporting and empowering Burkinabe women, we can help lift them out of poverty.

OUR MISSION AS A BRAND

L’OCCITANE has exceeded its goal of empowering 33,000 women in Burkina Faso and has set a new objective of 60,000 for 2025.

In 2018, L’OCCITANE, in collaboration with its Foundation, committed to support over 33,000 women in Burkina Faso in their socioeconomic development by the end of 2020. This goal has been achieved and greatly exceeded. To date, more than 42,600 women have been supported in Burkina Faso.

OUR AIM:

To support over 33,000 women in their socio-economic development by 2020 in Burkina Faso

Two ways to do this:

1.Trade fairly together
2.Reinforce women’s leadership together

THE RESIST PROGRAMME

SUPPORTING WOMEN IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS

In 2018, L'OCCITANE launched the RESIST programme (Resilience, Ecology, Strengthening, Independence, Structuration, Training). Through it, we help the women of Burkina Faso to:
• protect their shea trees and have access to organic areas to collect the shea nuts,
• consolidate their shea butter supply chain,
• diversify their incomes by finding new customers for their shea butter,
• develop new activities, such as producing bissap.
The aim? To help them become more financially autonomous.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO WOMEN'S LIVES

By earning their own income and developing their activities, the women shea butter producers in Burkina Faso are able to improve their social status. They can contribute more to household expenses and help to pay for their children's education. The whole family benefits!

PROMOTING WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP

FOUR KEY AREAS OF ACTION

In Burkina Faso, our Foundation works on ways to open up opportunities for women and offer them a brighter future. By focusing on literacy, microcredits, education for girls and entrepreneurship, we can help to break the cycle of illiteracy and give women entrepreneurs a much-needed financial boost.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO UNLEASH THEIR POTENTIAL

We need more women entrepreneurs! That's why the L'OCCITANE Foundation has joined forces with the NGO "Entrepreneurs du Monde" to help women develop economic initiatives and generate additional incomes. And through our "L'OCCITANE pour Elles" competition, we've helped four determined winners to pursue their business dreams.