P&G’s Olay Teams With Walmart Canada To Support Women in STEM

Procter & Gamble’s Olay brand is collaborating with Walmart Canada and youth outreach organization Actua to further advancement of women in science, technology, engineering and math-based careers.

The brand donated $50,000 to Actua’s National Girls Program on Feb. 11 — the International Day of Women and Girls in Science — as part of its 10-year commitment in #FaceTheSTEMGap. In doing so, P&G cited 2019 statistics from Statistics Canada that said women make up just 23% of science and technology positions held by workers aged 25-64 in Canada.

Olay’s initiative intends to tackle both representation and communication in closing the gap. Its donation will directly fund Actua’s National Girls Program, a two-decade-old program that engages more than 10,000 girls each year in programs meant to build the skills and confidence needed to fulfill future STEM leadership roles.

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Olay is also releasing a limited-edition STEM Retinol24 jar available exclusively at Walmart Canada — with $15 of each jar sold dedicated to the program — and intends to profile female leaders who have been successful in STEM careers.

One of these women is Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, an Olay Science Communications Fellow. “As a brand, Olay is scientifically-driven and its products are formulated by female technicians, engineers, mathematicians, and scientists — like myself — who are able to use their skillset towards developing the very skincare items so many women across Canada use each day,” she said. “It’s an honor to be able to share my story and encourage the next generation of female scientists to consider a path like my own.”