Baby Dove Announces the Creation of the Black Birth Equity Fund, Sets Out to Close the Black Maternal Care Gap

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Aug 24, 2021, 09:01 ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Baby Dove announces the creation of the Black Birth Equity Fund to provide Black expecting mothers with immediate financial access to doula services. The new fund is part of Baby Dove's long-term commitments to advance superior care, with and for, Black moms in partnership with leading advocacy groups like Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA).

Black expectant mothers face significant disparities in care before, during and after childbirth. This gap in care has created a world where Black women are dying at 3-5x the rate of white women – and 60% of those pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.¹ As a brand born to provide superior care to new families, Baby Dove is committed to accelerating efforts to close the gap in care and health outcomes for Black mothers and their babies.

"At Baby Dove, we believe Black moms have the right to superior care at every step of their journey. But for too long, Black moms have not received the care they deserve, and the consequences are significant -- we are committed to helping change that. Expanding access to doulas through the Black Birth Equity Fund is just the beginning and in partnership with organizations like Black Mamas Matter Alliance, we will work towards systemic change that will improve the birthing journey for Black moms and their babies," explains Sally Brown, Global Brand Director, Baby Dove.

Beginning today through the end of the year, Black birthing people - Black individuals who will be giving birth² - can visit BabyDove.com/BlackMaternalHealth to apply for direct, one-time grants up to $1,300 through the Black Birth Equity Fund to help cover the cost of doula services. Doulas are on the frontlines with expecting moms and can help advocate for better care throughout pregnancy, at the birthing moment, and into the Fourth Trimester. Research shows that with the support of a doula, moms are two times less likely to experience birth complications, four times less likely to have a low-birth-weight baby and are more likely to experience overall positive health outcomes during the birthing journey.³

"We are proud to see the Black Birth Equity Fund become available today to Black expectant moms and birthing individuals across the country," notes Angela D. Aina, Co-Founding Executive Director at Black Mamas Matter Alliance and Baby Dove Strategic Advisor. "For Black and other traditionally marginalized communities, Doulas have been proven to help reduce health disparities, as well as bridge language and cultural gaps between families and health providers. With notable support from global brands like Baby Dove, we will be able to raise greater awareness of Black maternal health, promote advocacy, and shift culture to support reproductive justice."

In addition to advancing care for Black moms, Baby Dove is on a mission to advance care for babies with melanin-rich skin and curly hair.

In speaking with parents, Baby Dove recognized that products formulated to deliver the needs of moisture and nourishment for melanin-rich baby skin and curly hair are often unavailable within the baby aisles of mass retailers. In collaboration with Walmart, Baby Dove is proud to introduce the new Baby Dove Melanin-Rich Skin and Curl Nourishment Collection – a full range of skin and hair products specifically developed for babies with melanin-rich skin and coils, curls, and waves. The new Baby Dove collection will be available nationwide exclusively at Walmart and on walmart.com beginning this month.

Alongside the new product range, Baby Dove collaborated with illustrator Keturah Ariel Nailah Bobo on a limited-edition gift set also available exclusively at Walmart and walmart.com, and 100% of profits will go to the Black Birth Equity Fund.

We are just getting started. Together, we can change the story of Black birth in America, one family at a time.

To apply for a grant or learn more visit BabyDove.com/BlackMaternalHealth
#ChangeTheStory

About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.

Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:

Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type and style.
Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About Black Mamas Matter Alliance
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is a national network of Black women-led organizations and multi-disciplinary professionals who work to ensure that all Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy. BMMA honors the work and historical contributions of black women's leadership within their communities and values the need to amplify this work on a national scale. For this reason, BMMA does not have chapters. The alliance is composed of existing organizations and individuals whose work is deeply rooted in reproductive justice, birth justice, and the human rights framework.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

- Improving the health of the planet;
- Improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- Contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2020 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and - for the tenth-consecutive year - as the top ranked company in the 2020 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey.

For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

¹ Petersen EE, Davis NL, Goodman D, et al. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths — United States, 2007–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:762–765. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6835a3external icon² Birthing people is a gender neutral and inclusive term to describe individuals who give birth.
³ Gruber, K. J., Cupito, S. H., & Dobson, C. F. (2013). Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes. The Journal of Perinatal Education. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/.

Media Contact:
Liz Harris - [email protected]

SOURCE Baby Dove