Kotex Global Study Finds Nearly 60% of Women Feel Progress is Lacking and Launches #ProgressFeelsLike Movement to Ignite Action on International Women's Day

Kotex, champion of women's progress for 100+ years, launches provocative next phase of its "She Can Initiative" to generate awareness around study and drive systemic change

DALLAS, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark's (NYSE:KMB) Kotex, creator of the period care category, is marking International Women's Day (March 8) by releasing eye-opening data from a study around how women worldwide feel about progress. Kotex uncovered that nearly 60% of women believe that the speed of women's progress is either stagnant or moving slowly. Half of the women polled indicated that the world is a more uncomfortable place for them than ever before. Furthermore, the study showed that these sentiments are relatively stronger among the younger generation. With this data top of mind, Kotex is launching its #ProgressFeelsLike effort to speak to this serious threat and encourage women around the world to have a voice and share their view of what progress is like in their daily lives and in the world around them.

"In a long history of advancement of women's rights and equality, today we are reminded that progress isn't a given," said Alison Lewis, chief growth officer at Kimberly-Clark. "Now is a crucial time for women everywhere to use their voices to inspire change, and we are pleased to offer a platform to share what #ProgressFeelsLike from their viewpoint. On International Women's Day and every day, #ProgressFeelsLike unites us and empowers us in our pursuit of progress across every culture and every country in the world. Because period or not, She Can."

To help show the world what #ProgressFeelsLike, Kotex is debuting a provocative film produced by an all-female Kotex team in partnership with Capital A Creative and Rakish, led by renowned director, Jaci Judelson. The powerful #ProgressFeelsLike film speaks to the data unearthed in Kotex's study. It depicts the reality around the globe that women face bias related to inequality, their periods and other restrictions, which continue to challenge or hinder progress.

Kotex is encouraging women worldwide to participate in the movement by using #ProgressFeelsLike in social media posts. The period care brand is also organizing on-the-ground activations to ignite conversation and inspire change for women within their communities. Examples include:

• In Turkey, Kotex is increasing its commitment to women's progress to ensure a more comfortable world where women can express themselves freely and break menstrual taboos. For every tweet using #ProgressFeelsLike in Turkey, the Kotex team will make a matching product donation to non-profit women's organizations.
• In Brazil, Kotex is launching a digital art festival to visually depict what #ProgressFeelsLike and to celebrate women's achievements, question the stigmas around menstruation, and show that women haven't come this far to stop here.
• In the US, U by Kotex will donate two period products to Alliance for Period Supplies from the purchase of any U by Kotex product purchased at Walmart during March 2024. U by Kotex will also donate two additional period products to APS for each repost of its social media post for National Women's Day on March 8, 2024, to drive awareness of period poverty, an issue that impacts one in three low-income women in the US.
• In Vietnam, Kotex is launching a music video that calls for consumers to submit entries that speak to what #ProgressFeelsLike when it comes to chasing their dreams. The top three winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship to make their ideas a reality.

As part of the #ProgressFeelsLike movement, Kotex is leading by example and has formed a new partnership with She's the First, a non-profit organization that fights for a world where every girl can choose her own future. As a part of the partnership with She's the First, Kotex is standing behind its pledge to progress and donating funds to help support the organization's mission to make sure girls everywhere are respected, educated and heard. The #ProgressFeelsLike movement and new alliance with She's the First is an extension of Kotex's She Can Initiative and existing work with Plan International and WASH United. The three partnerships align with Kotex's ongoing mission to champion women's progress by fighting period stigmas and the barriers they cause, by promoting access to education in schools and communities and by helping to open doors so women gain equal opportunity.

Click here to view and download the #ProgressFeelsLike infographic. Click here to watch the film. Click here for more information about the Kotex #ProgressFeelsLike movement and She Can Initiative. For press inquiries contact Abby Hagstrom, abby@thescratchcollective.com.

*= Kotex's Global Consumer Insights Study, September 2023 Total N = 3500. Full study available by request.

About Kotex
Our Kotex, U by Kotex, and Intimus brands aim to ensure a period never gets in the way of any woman's progress. Kimberly-Clark created the period care category with the launch of the Kotex brand 100 years ago, and today, its products are trusted by millions of women in more than 100 countries to provide outstanding protection and inspire confidence that period or not, she can.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries and territories. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them.  Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries.  We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies(R) by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

About She's the First
She's the First is a global girls' rights organization that fights for a world where every girl can choose her own future. They team up with grassroots leaders to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. Over the past 13 years, they've created transformational outcomes for 563,741 girls by working alongside 685 community organizations in 42 countries. To fulfill their mission, they teach a girl how to speak up for herself in her home, school, and community, while they teach the mentors in her life practical ways to support her agency. As a result, these girls become the first women in their families to achieve amazing milestones—and they are never the last.

Their diverse team is based across the U.S., Kenya and Guatemala. They've built a strong reputation as an anti-oppressive and girl-centered organization. Their leadership in the girls' empowerment space is recognized by former First Lady Michelle Obama, the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, Women Deliver and the DVF Awards.

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