AXA is expanding its role beyond insurance with two major global initiatives aimed at tackling social inequality and workplace safety.
The insurer has unveiled Unlock Education, a partnership with Ashoka to rethink how education fosters social cohesion and AXA Safe Spaces, a program designed to help employers and employees support victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Through its philanthropic arm, the AXA Foundation for Human Progress, AXA has teamed up with Ashoka to launch Unlock Education. The three-year initiative will back 30 social entrepreneurs across seven countries, starting with France, Belgium and Turkey in 2025. According to the company, the goal is to reshape learning environments to build empathy, collaboration and resilience in young peopel.
In addition, selected entrepreneurs will receive funding, mentorship, and access to Ashoka’s global network of more than 4,000 innovators. AXA employees will also be invited to work with the entrepreneurs, combining corporate expertise with grassroots innovation.
Alongside its education efforts, AXA is also addressing domestic and sexual violence with the launch of AXA Safe Spaces. Developed in collaboration with NGOs and experts, the program aims to help workplaces identify, respond to, and support employees affected by abuse.
Based on the World Health Organization and UN Women's 3R Methodology, the training will be available for free in 12 languages and rolled out across major companies including Accor, Engie, L'Oreal, LVMH, Orange, Publicis Groupe France and AXA itself.
"AXA's commitment to domestic violence is long-lasting, concrete, and goes beyond our products and services," said Karima Silvent, AXA group chief human resources officer. "AXA Safe Spaces is more than a training; it is a commitment to provide ongoing support and to offer practical resources so that the workplace can become a trusted shelter for victims."
Through Unlock Education and AXA Safe Spaces, AXA is signalling a broader commitment to human progress, one that connects social well-being with long-term resilience.
As insurers increasingly factor social responsibility into their business strategies, similar initiatives underline how the sector can play a more active role in addressing social and human risks alongside traditional financial ones.
