Dove’s Self Esteem Project is entering its next chapter.
As part of the long-standing body positivity campaign, Dove has teamed with activewear giant Nike and tennis legend Venus Williams to launch the “Body Confident Sport” online coaching program, which aims to help young athletes build body confidence and self-esteem.
According to research from Dove and Nike, low body confidence — which is sometimes exacerbated in a sports environment — is the biggest driver of girls dropping out of sports. The companies’ findings report that girls drop out of sports at twice the rate that boys do globally; 48 percent of girls have been told they “don’t have the right body” for sports, and 61 percent of girls would be interested in hearing from coaches about body confidence and education.
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To that end, Body Confident Sport features interactive training modules designed to help “coaches” — the literal kind, or parents, siblings and educators — combat negative body image and instill confidence in young athletes. The videos and workbooks are available in seven languages and touch on topics including listening to one’s body, how to challenge harmful body talk in sports and understanding bodily functions.
The initiative marks the first time Dove has teamed with an apparel company for its Self Esteem Project, which launched in 2004 with the goal of providing people with accessible self-esteem education.
Since then Dove has partnered with figures and companies including pop singer Lizzo; UNICEF, and Cartoon Network’s animated show “Steven Universe” to amplify its message of self-acceptance. The campaign has also long advocated against photo retouching and editing, warning of the effects they can have on young people in the age of social media.
Dove said it aims to reach 1 million people with Body Confident Sport, and 250 million people by 2030 with the Self Esteem Project. The project debuts during what has been a major year for female sports — from the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King’s “Battle of the Sexes” win, to New York Liberty’s record-breaking season.