Coca-Cola 5by20 initiative reaches over 1.2mn women entrepreneurs by end-2015

The Coca-Cola Company recently announced strong progress toward its goal to enable the economic empowerment of five million women entrepreneurs across the Coca-Cola value chain by 2020. 
Year-end results for 2015 indicate that the initiative, known as 5by20, has reached a total of more than 1.2 million women entrepreneurs across 60 countries since its launch in 2010. 
More than 372,000 women entrepreneurs were enabled by 5by20 in 2015, increasing the total number of women participants by 43 percent over the course of the year. This growth can be attributed primarily to programmes scaling and replicating in the Eurasia-Africa and Asia-Pacific regions.  “We believe thriving, sustainable communities are critical for a sustainable business and women are absolutely essential to our success,” said The Coca-Cola Company Chief Sustainability Officer Bea Perez. “We still have a significant amount of work to do, but I am proud of the progress we are making. It’s inspiring when I am able to meet the participants and see firsthand how 5by20 is transforming the lives of women, families and communities around the world.” 5by20 focuses on helping women entrepreneurs across the Coca-Cola value chain -- agricultural producers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, recyclers and artisans -- overcome challenges when establishing and growing their business. By providing access to business skills, financial services, assets and support networks of peers and mentors, 5by20 is helping women succeed as entrepreneurs, while also helping create sustainable communities. 
The Coca-Cola Sri Lanka 5by20 programme has impacted the lives of over 4,000 women across the country since it began in 2012. The 5by20 programme is conducted locally in partnership with Women in Management (WIM) and the Child Development and Women’s Affairs Ministry in the form of training programmes. 
The programme is customized to suit the training needs of different women and serves a larger societal need by empowering women and promoting inclusivity. By providing access to business skills, financial services, assets and a support network of peers and mentors, 5by20 helps women achieve their entrepreneurial and personal dreams, whilst simultaneously creating thriving and sustainable communities. 5by20 is conducted islandwide in Trincomalee, Panama, Anuradhapura, Mullaitivu, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Negombo, Kilinochchi and Colombo.