Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Gitega, Burundi– Business Wire India Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, together with The First Ladies of Africa and Asia, who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother, mark the “International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women 2025” through their “More Than a Mother” Campaign and “Educating Linda” program. Through these programs, Merck Foundation conducts impactful community awareness initiatives aimed at addressing Gender-Based Violence, Empowering Women and Girls at all levels, and Supporting Girl Education. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation expressed, “At Merck Foundation, we are deeply committed to raising awareness about the elimination of violence against women and girls through our various impactful community awareness initiatives that include children storybooks and their adapted animation films, inspiring songs, and many episodes of our TV program “Our Africa”, that has been broadcast on national TV stations across Africa. Through our ‘More Than a Mother’ campaign, we are breaking the infertility stigma. Infertile women are often subjected to discrimination, social isolation, and in many cases, violence. By breaking this stigma and shifting mindsets, we aim to protect their rights, restore their dignity, and create a more compassionate and equitable society.” Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother” is a powerful campaign that defines interventions to build quality and equitable Reproductive and Fertility Care Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma and Raise Awareness about Infertility Prevention and Male Infertility. “I firmly believe that education is one of the strongest drivers of women’s empowerment. When women and girls are educated, they gain the confidence, opportunities, and protection needed to break cycles of violence and build stronger futures. Therefore, through our ‘Educating Linda’ program, we are providing annual scholarships to more than 1,000 underprivileged but deserving schoolgirls from 18 countries, enabling them to continue their education, and reach their full potential,” added Dr. Kelej. Merck Foundation’s pan African TV program “Our Africa”, that is conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and features African Fashion Designers, Singers, and prominent experts from various domains with the aim to raise awareness about social and health issues, has episodes dedicated to issues like Stopping GBV, Ending FGM, Breaking Infertility Stigma, Women Empowerment and Supporting Girl Education. Watch the Episode about Stopping GBV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3DKwHuvsM Watch the Episode about Ending FGM here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GtXkBYv_94 Watch the Episode about Women Empowerment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xghKVbJi2ds Watch the Episodes on Breaking Infertility Stigma here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BONCtUJZLHI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqobIDOHc4E&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXkB6sYb2Rw Watch the Episodes on Girl Education here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGz6yNSik7g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5wpzOr22l0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwRnP-Zi60 Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Ladies of Africa, has launched many inspiring children’s storybooks – ‘Not Who You Are’ to raise awareness on Gender Based Violence, to educate children about this sensitive social issue so that they can learn to respect girls and women, from a young age, and ‘More Than a Mother’ to emphasize and strengthen family values of love and respect from an early age by instilling the thought that Women are more than just mothers, they are productive members in the society. Moreover, children’s storybooks like ‘Educating Linda’, ‘Jackline’s Rescue’ and ‘Ride into the Future’ have also been launched to support girl education. The storybooks have also been adapted to make interesting and engaging Animation Films to raise awareness among children, youth and adults. These animation films are launched in five languages including English, French, Portuguese, Swahilli, and Spanish. Watch Animation Films here: • More Than a Mother: https://youtu.be/ri1vnt7VM-M • Jackeline’s Rescue: https://youtu.be/It1D-XEUjeY • Ride Into the Future: https://youtu.be/Piz_6Ob68mI Merck Foundation has also released many songs to support women empowerment and girl education. 1. Watch, share & subscribe the “Like Them” song here, sung by Kenneth, a famous singer from Uganda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCo52vtz3Q0 2. Watch and share “Girl Can” song here, sung by two famous singers, Irene and Cwezi from Liberia and Ghana respectively: https://youtu.be/6LP92vAWYgs 3. Watch and share “Take me to School” song here, sung by Wezi, Afro-soul singer from Zambia, to support girls’ education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWcujLMbKSg 4. Watch and share “Tu Podes Sim” Portuguese song, which means “Yes, You Can” in English by Blaze and Tamyris Moiane, singers from Mozambique in English here: https://youtu.be/BGWR2S-mxl4 5. Watch and share “ABC, 123” by Sean K from Namibia song here: https://youtu.be/4Z2i4Wh-bpk 6. Watch and share “Superwoman Song” by singers Cwezi and Adina from Ghana here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ6ZprqAAJs “Every woman deserves respect. Every girl deserves safety. On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, let us unite to STOP Gender-Based Violence. By empowering women, supporting girl education, and championing their rights, we can assure them a future free from abuse, discrimination, and inequality,” concluded Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej. Click the link below to Download Merck Foundation App https://www.merck-foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirection Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard Facebook: Merck Foundation X: @MerckFoundation YouTube: MerckFoundation Instagram: Merck Foundation Threads: Merck Foundation Flickr: Merck Foundation Website: www.merckfoundation.com About Merck Foundation The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.merck-foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and Flickr. The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors. 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