Angelina Jolie launches beekeeping initiative

Angelina Jolie has teamed up with executives at Guerlain and UNESCO to unveil a new programme centred around the world's bee population.

To mark International Women’s Day on Monday, the initiative, fronted by the actress, will empower women caring for endangered bees, with the goal of building 2,500 hives in 25 UNESCO biosphere reserves by 2025.

Those who sign up for the programme, named Women for Bees, will be trained to become beekeepers.

"When women gain skills and knowledge, their instinct is to help raise others," Jolie said in a statement.

"I’m excited to meet the women taking part in this program from all over the world. I look forward to getting to know them and learning about their culture and environment, and the role bees play in that," the Tomb Raider star went on, sharing: "I hope the training will strengthen their independence, their livelihoods and their communities."

The first women to be trained as part of the initiative will come from Cambodia, where Jolie runs a foundation to support the local community.

"Guerlain have a genuine commitment to the environment, sustainable development and the communities they work with," she explained, adding: "That’s what brought us together, and Women for Bees is a wonderful extension of that."