CJ E&M Series Supports Girls’ Education Initiative

DUBAI: CJ E&M and UNESCO have partnered to support UNESCO’s girls’ education global campaign with Rainbow Ruby, CJ E&M’s new animated preschool series.

Rainbow Ruby aims to empower young girls to dream big and look to a bright future, while also raising awareness about the hardships that females in many developing regions may face due to a lack of education. CJ E&M will expand media campaigns for girls’ education to major TV channels around the globe, which will air the show. The company will also work with UNESCO to develop edutainment apps and virtual-reality content to further the advancement of girls’ education worldwide, using digital assets from the CGI series. A share of sales from Rainbow Ruby-themed products will be donated to UNESCO’s global fund for the initiative.

The Better Life for Girls campaign, launched by CJ E&M and UNESCO in 2014, addresses the lack of access to quality education for females in developing regions. This new deal marks the first time that UNESCO joins a global partnership focused on an animation-based character for its key initiative. Rainbow Ruby will be distributed by DHX Media in the U.S., Canada and EMEA, excluding France.

“Rainbow Ruby is the first original global animation series created by CJ E&M as a co-production project with China Entertainment that will reach out to a global audience,” said Sang Gill (Tschaik) Lee, the executive VP of CJ E&M. “Rainbow Ruby is a 3D CGI animation series that follows a 6-year-old girl named Ruby as she transports to Rainbow Village where her toys come alive. Throughout the series Ruby experiences different professions, introducing preschool girls to the concept of a dream job, letting them imagine how their jobs can improve their lives in the future. I strongly believe it will be a fun and exciting experience for girls.”

“Global research convincingly shows that girls’ education—a right in itself—is the most powerful breakthrough strategy for unlocking progress across all the development goals, from health to jobs, with positive repercussions across generations,” noted Irina Bokova, the director-general of UNESCO. “In partnership with CJ Group, we expect to change perceptions from the youngest age to show that girls can have the same aspirations and dreams as boys, and should have access to a full cycle of quality education.”

“CJ Group is in a long-term partnership with UNESCO to support girls’ education in diverse ways to improve the education system in developing countries around the world,” added Heekyung Jo Min, the executive VP of CJ Welfare Foundation.