Anita Roddick | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Anita Lucia Perilli 23 October 1942 Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK |
| Died | 10 September 2007 (aged 64) Chichester, West Sussex, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Businesswoman, founder of The Body Shop, charity work |
| Title | Dame |
| Spouse | Gordon Roddick (m. 1970–2007, her death) |
| Children | Justine, Sam |
| Website | www |
Dame Anita Lucia Roddick DBE (23 October 1942 – 10 September 2007) was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, now The Body Shop International Limited, a cosmetics company producing and retailing natural beauty products which shaped ethical consumerism.[1][2] The company was one of the first to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals in some of its products and one of the first to promote fair trade with developing countries.
Roddick was involved in activism and campaigning for environmental and social issues, including involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue. In 1990, Roddick founded Children on the Edge, a charitable organisation which helps disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.[3] She believed that business should offer a form of moral leadership, being a more powerful force in society than religion or government.[4]
In the late 1990s, she became involved in advocating for the Angola Three, African-American prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary who had already been held in solitary confinement for decades. She helped raise international awareness and funds to aid in their appeals of flawed trials.
- ^ "Dame Anita Roddick dies aged 64". BBC News. 10 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
- ^ Gray, Sadie (11 September 2007). "Dame Anita Roddick". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
- ^ "Children on the Edge: official website". 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007.
- ^ Roddick, Anita (2000). Business As Unusual. London: Thorsons. ISBN 978-0722539873.
In terms of power and influence, you can forget the church, forget politics. There is no more powerful institution in society than business, which is why I believe it is now more important than ever before for business to assume a moral leadership. The business of business should not be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed."