Dove to hold second annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend
NEW YORK — Unilever’s Dove brand is launching a nationwide effort to help girls build self-esteem by holding its second annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend on Oct. 21 to 23, which brings together Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc. and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and encourages women to spend an hour on a self-esteem building activity.
Research revealed that it is important to address anxiety about looks at an early age. A recent global study commissioned by Dove entitled "The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited" revealed that only 11% of girls would describe themselves as beautiful. This lack of self-esteem only worsens as girls get older.
According to the study, 80% of women agreed that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty. More than half (54%) of women agreed that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst critics.
Research also found that 72% of girls felt tremendous pressure to be beautiful and only 11% are comfortable using the word "beautiful" to describe themselves.
When girls feel bad about their looks, more than 70% (ages 15 to 17 years) avoid normal daily activities, such as attending school, going to the doctor or even giving their opinion. A universal increase in beauty pressure leads to a decrease in girls' confidence.
According to Dove it is committed to inspiring all women and girls to reach their full potential by caring for themselves and each other. Women joining the movement will receive regular updates on a variety of ways to get involved. Currently, women can participate in the following ways:
Join Dove for the second annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend: Women can show that amazing things can happen when they all come together by registering their Weekend activities on the interactive map at Facebook.com/Dove. Dove has already reached more than eight million girls with self-esteem education and hopes to reach 15 million girls by 2015.
Answer the question "Who Inspired You?" on Dove online channels: Facebook, Twitter and Dove.com, to honor the positive impact someone had on their life. When women share their story, the company will make a $1 donation to support self-esteem education in the United States.
Download tools: Visit Dove.com to access free tools to build self-esteem in young girls.