A global funding crisis threatens to hold back Africa’s next generation of women – but sexual rights champion Myriam Sidibe reveals how millions of girls can be brought back from the brink.
This media release is pegged to the latest Global TED Talk released on the TED platform – free for all media audiences to watch in full here or via short snaps below.
Nairobi, Kenya 10th September 2025 – Professor Myriam Sidibe, Chief Mission Officer of Brands on a Mission (BoaM), has released a new TED Talk titled “Sex, Soap and Alcohol”, calling on companies and philanthropies to design business models that drive both growth and social impact.
Sidibe, known for her work on ethical business, argues that current business models are not doing enough to address pressing social challenges in Africa, particularly those affecting women and girls. She calls for stronger partnerships between businesses, governments, and communities to tackle issues such as public health, gender-based violence, and education.
“Building a better world requires a business model designed to get us there. Without this, it is just wishful thinking,” said Professor Sidibe. “We need to use the power of credibility, partnerships, and business to build economies that work for girls, growth, and the global good.”
In her talk, Sidibe highlights three areas that demonstrate how brands can contribute to positive change:
Sex and Reproductive Health: Sidibe draws attention to the health challenges facing women and girls in Africa. Each year, 8.3 million women undergo unsafe abortions, 210,000 die from pregnancy-related causes, and 42 million women with sexually transmitted infections remain untreated. Young women in Sub-Saharan Africa account for 63 percent of new global HIV infections. Through BoaM, Sidibe is working with governments and corporations to develop programs that improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). One such initiative is “Fatima,” an AI-driven animated character that brings to life the challenges girls face, such as period stigma and lack of contraception, while offering solutions that restore dignity and opportunity.
Soap and Hygiene: Sidibe reflects on her earlier work at Unilever, where she helped reposition Lifebuoy soap around the mission “Help a child reach five.” By prioritizing impact and long-term collaboration, the campaign reached more than one billion people, improved handwashing behavior, and contributed to reducing child mortality, while also strengthening the brand’s commercial success.
Alcohol and Gender-Based Violence: Sidibe points to the Carling Black Label #NoExcuse campaign in South Africa, which engaged men to challenge harmful gender norms. The initiative led to more men speaking out against gender-based violence and improved perceptions of the brand among consumers.
Sidibe concludes with a call to action for businesses and philanthropies to invest in Africa’s future: “When brands align with consumers to shift culture and norms—not just to sell products—real change happens.”
This media release is pegged to the latest Global TED Talk released on the TED platform – free for all media audiences to watch in full here. The full TED Talk is available on the TED platform.
ENDS…..
About Brands on a Mission (BoaM)
Brands on a Mission (BoaM) is a B-Corp consultancy dedicated to transforming operational models to accelerate impact in global health and well-being. With a growing portfolio focused on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in sub-Saharan Africa, BoaM’s flagship initiative, African Voices, is at the forefront of elevating the profile of SRHR and advancing its cause across the continent.
About TED Global
TED GLOBAL is a non-profit that believes powerful ideas, powerfully presented, move us: to feel something, to think differently, to take action.
Fatima TV – go here for more information
About Prof Myriam Sidibe
Prof Sidibe is one of the world’s leading experts of brands that drive health outcomes through mass behavioural change, during her fifteen-year career at Unilever Myriam spearheaded a movement to change the handwashing behaviour of one billion people globally (achieved in 2019). She also conceived and helped establish the multi-award-winning UN recognised Global Handwashing Day – now celebrated annually in over 100 countries. Her 2014 TED Talk “The Simple Power of Handwashing” has been viewed more than a million times. Myriam’s ‘Brands on a Mission: How to achieve Social Impact and Business Growth through Purpose’ is a book that provides the operational framework for her new movement ‘Brands on a Mission’. This movement has been developed to catalyse and generate an additional US$1 billion investment in sustainable business models that address health and well-being, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. www.myriamsidibe.com, www.brandsonamission.com
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