Mango drives forward education for refugee women in partnership with UNHCR

Spanish fashion company Mango continues to prioritise social responsibility as a strategic pillar. Mango has formalised a new collaboration with UNHCR, the international organisation dedicated to helping people fleeing war, persecution, or human rights violations, to support the university education of refugee women. This partnership will be delivered through the DAFI scholarship programme, an initiative that will support around a hundred young women between 2025 and 2027.

The agreement, signed by Mango CEO Toni Ruiz, Francesco Sciacca, director general of UNHCR’s Spanish Committee, and Jorge Olague, UNHCR’s director of Private Sector Partnerships, marks the first time the Catalan company has partnered with UNHCR on an educational project and aims to expand access to tertiary education, a level reached by only 7% of young refugees.

Under the agreement, the company will fund 96 scholarships: 69 full awards covering the entirety of recipients’ university studies, and 27 for the final year to support entry into the labour market. Most of the beneficiaries are concentrated in Asia, particularly Afghan and Rohingya women in India, as well as Afghan refugee women in Pakistan.

“Mango aims to generate a positive impact in all the countries in which we operate. Through initiatives such as this, we want to recognise and support all women who do not have access to higher education and thus enable them to achieve greater autonomy and personal development, bringing about transformative change in their futures,” explained Ruiz. “Eight out of every ten people who work at Mango are women, and they represent 40% of our executive committee, thus reinforcing our commitment to female leadership.”

This new collaboration forms part of Mango’s social action strategy, through which it seeks to drive projects linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, promote equality and contribute to sustained social development, acting as a transformative force in the sector.

Founded in 1984 by Isak Andic, the company now operates in more than 120 markets through a retail network of over 2,900 points of sale. According to its latest figures, Mango recorded turnover of €1.728 billion in the first half of the current financial year, 12% more than the previous year. Looking ahead, the company expects to end 2026 with €4 billion in sales and 500 additional stores in its retail network.