Dove Self-Esteem Project
Find out more about the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove is launching a three-year partnership with UNICEF that will help 10 million more young people gain self-esteem and body confidence.
UNICEF is reiterating the importance of self-esteem issues by working with the Dove Self-Esteem Project to create new educational modules.
The modules, which focus on self-esteem and body confidence, will be implemented as part of UNICEF’s wider adolescent life skills programmes for 10-18 year-olds in Brazil, India and Indonesia.
The new partnership brings together the scale and specialised skills of world-leading children’s organisation UNICEF and the expertise and experience of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the world’s largest provider of self-esteem education. Since its inception in 2004, Dove’s purpose-led programme has reached over 35 million young people across 140 countries.
Supporting the leaders of tomorrow
“Young people are some of the world’s best advocates, creators and thinkers. Yet, feelings of disempowerment, low self-esteem and a lack of confidence too often prevent them, especially young girls, from speaking out, standing up for what they believe in, and reaching their full potential,” says UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
“Through our new partnership with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we are hoping to change that,” she adds.
“We are very happy to be partnering with UNICEF to empower 10 million more young people,” agrees Unilever CEO Alan Jope.
“Issues with self-esteem and body confidence can have serious implications for girls’ development, so it is critical that we work to address them and help girls to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Why self-esteem education counts
In 2017, research conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project showed that low body esteem is a critical issue among girls globally, directly impacting their confidence and life satisfaction. It revealed that when girls aren’t happy with the way they look, 8 in 10 opt out of fundamental life activities and 7 in 10 put their health at risk.
Other research shows that when girls don’t feel good about the way they look, 20% of them stop attending school and 30% stop participating in class. When girls opt out, society misses out on the next generation of future female leaders.
By working with leading psychologists and body image experts, Dove aims to change these troubling statistics. The Dove Self-Esteem Project provides a wealth of evidence-based resources and academically validated tools to teachers, parents and youth leaders all over the world, helping young people to develop a positive relationship with their looks, so they are not held back by image-related anxiety.
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