The first cohort of the “Women for Bees” programme commemorated their graduation with a private press conference on 21 July. 

The scenic hills of Sainte-Baume, Provence were decorated with glee for Guerlain and UNESCO&rsquo;s graduation ceremony: Their first all-women cohort of beekeepers officially completed their month-long &ldquo;Women for Bees&rdquo; programme last month. The evolving programme aimed to inspire and empower younger women through an enriching beekeeping entrepreneurship.

The following press conference, moderated by Paris-based journalist and author Lindsey Tramuta, also featured short panels by No&euml;line Raondry Rakotoarisoa &ndash; Director of the Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO, V&eacute;ronique Courtois &ndash; President of Guerlain, C&eacute;cile Lochard &ndash; Chief Sustainability Officer of Guerlain, Thierry Dufresne &ndash; Founder and President of OFA, as well as Aggelina and Leopoldine &ndash; two representatives from the graduating cohort who took the stage to share about their experience with the programme.&nbsp;

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During their month-long endeavour, the participants learned relevant theoretical and practical knowledge to join the international sisterhood of beekeepers to help nurture nature. &ldquo;This experience has been packed with knowledge &mdash; from an environmental level and from a social level. We have been immersed in an experience that has been full in every way,&rdquo; says Aggelina, one of the beekeepers from the graduating cohort.&nbsp;

&ldquo;It has a been a revelation on a social level. I understood how human collaboration works,&rdquo; she elaborates, &ldquo;Bees don&rsquo;t work independently. Drones need the queen to exist. They all work together as a superorganism. They don&rsquo;t just exist individually. Us as a team, we can work at making a network and making a superorganism: A sisterhood.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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Proclaimed godmother of the &ldquo;Women of Bees&rdquo;, Angelina Jolie, was present at the ceremony to award the beekeepers for their dedication to the cause. &ldquo;We think of a future without bees as science fiction, but bee populations are declining globally due to human activity. The implications for our food supply, for biodiversity, if we continue on this path, are apocalyptic,&rdquo; says Angelina.

&ldquo;As I started to work with Guerlain, we spoke often about bees, and then we really started to talk about what could we do to improve the situation - what could we do for both for the bees and also for women. This global sisterhood that is forming with this &ldquo;Women for Bees&rdquo; programme is very exciting.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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When asked about her thoughts on the importance of women&rsquo;s education for the programme, Angelina narrowed it down to their contribution to society. &ldquo;Education helps people be more capable, to contribute to society. Without education, you won&rsquo;t be able to contribute as much. I have daughters. I love women. I love to see women reach their full potential. A woman who is educated educates others. The women who receive their diplomas will be educating others. This is an investment in all that needs to be done.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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Angelina Jolie Joins Guerlain, UNESCO, and OFA to Celebrate “Women for Bees”

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