Mary Kay Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Girls Empowerment

True to its mission of enriching women's lives, and in celebration of its 50^thanniversary, Mary Kay Inc. is sponsoring the first U.S.-Brazil Girls Empowerment Conference. Mary Kay's partnership with the U.S. Department of State will help promote the rights of women and girls around the world. Approximately 80 young women between the ages of 13 and 17 from Brazil, the United States, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay will participate in the event. The girls were selected to participate based on their leadership qualities at school, in their community and their work supporting social development and human rights.

The Brazil-U.S. Girls Empowerment Conference will take place in Rio de Janeiro from April 2-4 at the Windsor Guanabara Hotel. The conference aims to promote the rights of girls and young women to participate in all spaces of public life by sharing their experiences with each other, government officials and organizers. The conference is promoted by Brazil's Secretariat of Women's Policies, the Secretariat of Human Rights, and the Department of State of the United States, with the additional support of UNICEF, Ashoka, Partners of the Americas and the International Institute for the Development of Citizenship (IIDAC).

"Mary Kay Ash started this company 50 years ago with the vision to enrich women's lives," said Anne Crews, vice president of government relations at Mary Kay. "It is extremely rewarding for us to see this vision become a reality in the hands of these young women who aspire to help the communities where they live."

During the conference, the young women will be able to speak with representatives from Brazilian and U.S. governments about public policy focused on youth and gender. They will also have an opportunity to participate in panels and workshops with female executives, athletes and other public figures. At the opening of the summit, Minister Eleonora Menicucci of the Secretariat of Women's Policies and Minister Maria do Rosário of the Secretariat of Human Rights will present recent efforts carried out by the Brazilian Government to encourage the empowerment of young women. The opening panel will also feature U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Thomas Shannon, and representatives of UNICEF, Mary Kay Inc., Partners of the Americas and IIDAC.

About Mary Kay

Irresistible products. Positive community impact. Rewarding opportunity. For 50 years, Mary Kay has offered it all. With 2.5 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants and $3 billion in global annual wholesale sales, Mary Kay is a top beauty brand and direct seller in more than 35 markets around the world. To learn more or to locate a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant in your area, please visit marykay.com.