Every year on October 11th, the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, a day dedicated to championing the potential and empowerment of girls while highlighting the unique challenges and inequalities they face worldwide simply because of their gender.

Culturally, and particularly in Uganda, the girl child has been historically sidelined in both education and opportunity. Yet, history consistently proves that women are powerful conduits of success and greatness.

The legacy of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel serves as a potent global example. Upon leaving office, she was widely applauded for her exceptional leadership, having steered Germany to unprecedented economic heights. Her success, and that of countless other female leaders, undeniable demonstrates the truly outstanding capability of women.

At Newman’s, we don’t just believe in women’s empowerment—we practice it. As part of our core support to our outgrowers, many of whom are in rural areas where traditional gender misconceptions persist, we provide dedicated training on gender mainstreaming. We champion the principle that the girl child must be educated and accorded the same opportunity as the boy child.

And our commitment doesn’t stop in the field. At our Factory, we employ a dedicated Gender Focal Person—an outstanding woman who actively champions gender equality across all our operations. We have been privileged to witness first-hand the exceptional capability of women across all levels of production.

On this International Day of the Girl Child, we sound our clarion call once again: Women are Champions! Let us commit to giving them every opportunity they deserve.