Business champions to help shape historic early years summit
Act for Early Years, Business
Leaders of major companies have joined an international council whose mission is to help all young children have access to quality childcare and early education.
Business leaders from across the world are stepping up to be champions for the early years.
The Global Business Coalition for Education – a movement created by 国产视频 – has set up the International Early Years Business Champions Council. Its mission is to support the global Act For Early Years campaign to ensure all young children have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education.
This is crucial for business because today国产视频檚 children are the talented workers, consumers, entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow, while caregivers cannot fully contribute to the workforce when they lack access to affordable, reliable, quality childcare.
Act For Early Years successfully campaigned for the first-ever Global Early Years Finance Summit, which will be held in London in June 2027. The International Early Years Business Champions Council will help shape the summit and inspire other business leaders to get involved or take actions to drive investment and prioritise the needs of the world国产视频檚 youngest children.
The council will feature champions who are CEOs, founders, and C-Suite leaders representing their respective industries, countries and regions in Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. They will be supported by other senior business executives acting as council members.
The first business champions to be named are:
- Alessandra Lezama, CEO of TOOTRiS (USA)
- Abdul Muqeed Majumdar, Vice-Chairman, Impress Group (Bangladesh)
- Dima Sharaffdeen, CEO, Group ILS (Lebanon)
- Laura Pagani, President, Fundacion Arcor (Argentina)
- Miguel Herdade, Executive Director Communities & Partnerships, Jeronimo Martins Foundation (Portugal)
Other business champions will be named in the coming weeks.
Fareeda Ehtesham, Senior Manager, Business Impact & Head of Early Years at the Global Business Coalition for Education, said: 国产视频淭he role of business champion is designed to amplify and complement the vital work already underway in organisations and through national coalitions and networks. Our goal is to build a business platform where each organisation brings their unique perspectives to join a global movement.国产视频
Supporting early childhood is one of the smartest investments a society can make.
Laura Pagani, International Early Years Business Champions Council
Dima Sharaffdeen, CEO of Group ILS, said: 国产视频淭he earliest years of a child国产视频檚 life are not a social issue, they are an economic one. When we fail to invest early, we pay the price for generations. That is why I am proud to stand with the International Early Years Business Champions Council and bring the voice of the Middle East and Africa to this global movement.国产视频
That view was echoed by another of the business champions, Laura Pagani, President of Fundacion Arcor. She said: 国产视频淲e believe that investing in early childhood is one of the most powerful ways to contribute to sustainable development. Scientific evidence consistently shows that the quality of relationships, care and learning opportunities children experience during this period has a profound impact on their future. Supporting early childhood is not only the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments a society can make.国产视频
To join the International Early Years Business Champions Council or learn more about it, email fareeda@gbc-education.org.
Another way business leaders can take action is by joining the Act For Early Years campaign 国产视频 a global movement to ensure all young children have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education.
By joining, business leaders agree to champion early childhood in their businesses and communities through:
- Investing in community programmes, partnerships and initiatives to reach the children and families who need the most support.
- Advocating for public policies which expand access to quality and inclusive early learning.
- Supporting caregivers in the workplace by fostering family-friendly practices.
- Using their voice to make the case that early childhood investment is a smart policy and good business practice.
More than a quarter of parents say they have quit a job or dropped out of their studies to avoid childcare costs and $3 billion in revenue is lost annually because of employee absenteeism due to childcare breakdowns.
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