Kimberly-Clark Supports 14th Annual World Toilet Summit In New Delhi, India
As part of Kimberly-Clark’s (K-C) commitment to improve sanitation worldwide, the company sponsored and participated in the 14th annual World Toilet Summit held in New Delhi, India on January 19-20, 2015.
Policymakers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, religious leaders, academics, experts, celebrities, the media and other sanitation sector stakeholders came together to amplify the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat (Clean India) mission, and mobilize partnerships to address India’s sanitation challenges.
Today, around half of India’s population lacks access to proper sanitation facilities, which has a tremendous impact on the country’s health and economic development as well as the safety and dignity of women and other disadvantaged groups in the country.
The two day summit was jointly organized by World Toilet Organization (WTO), a global non-profit committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide, the World Education Foundation and India’s Ministry of Urban Development.
The summit focused on themes including education and sanitation, empowerment through sanitation, and behavioral change. Global sanitation stakeholders discussed the way forward for sanitation in India on a variety of issues including the roles of government, media and the private sector; sanitation in schools; behavior change and empowerment; innovative, low-cost solutions and technologies; and improved dignity for girls and women through access to sanitation. The event also examined global best practices and sanitation experiences from other countries, as well as evolving technologies to help overcome the issue of open defecation, which is rampant in India.
Chris Messer, K-C’s Sustainability Business Partner in Asia-Pacific served as moderator on a panel titled “The Path to a Healthy and Prosperous Nation,” and Ben Johnson, Global Intimate Care Senior Brand Manager, represented K-C as a subject matter expert on a panel titled “Behavioral Change and Empowerment.”
“A common theme we heard throughout the summit is that solving the sanitation crisis is a major undertaking and will require commitment, creativity and innovation from around the world to not only build toilets, but to inspire a behavior change revolution,” said Ben Johnson. “The summit enabled government representatives, NGOs and the private sector to continue building much-need relationships and challenge each other to think beyond what’s been done in the past so that our collective impact will be greater and more meaningful.”
The link between the issue of sanitation and our brands is clear, and K-C is working on several initiatives to provide access to toilets around the world. For example, K-C is one of the founding members of the Toilet Board Coalition, a cross-sector collaboration with corporate partners, intergovernmental agencies and non-profit organizations. In 2014, Kimberly-Clark’s Andrex brand in the UK launched an innovative campaign in collaboration with a key trade partner to raise funds for building toilets in Angola, while also boosting brand reputation.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: "KMB") and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 142-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
