Life with Kids

On Thursday June 24, 2010 my colleague and I had the pleasure of attending the G(irls)20 Summit, The Dove Self-Esteem Fund in Toronto. This movement for self-esteem, is a new effort to support positive self-esteem amongst girls and women so they can feel more confident and reach their full personal potential.

The movement is being launched as a part of the One Girl Can: A Discussion on Mentorship, held in conjunction with the G(irls)20 Summit. The discussion brought together one 18-20 year old female representative from each of the G20 nations, along with a delegate from the African Union. They shared insights and experiences about the positive impact of female mentors on self-esteem and developed actionable ideas for encouraging mentorship in their communities.

As the first Action item of the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, Dove asked all women to join it's vision at www.dovemovement.com to declare they will play an ongoing role in building positive self-esteem in the girls and women in their lives. By joining the movement, women will become part of a community committed to a world where every girl grows up with the self-esteem she needs to reach her full potential.

"The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem has the potential to change the lives of young girls by helping them build positive self-esteem and realize their full personal potential", says Sharon MacLeod, Dove Director. "Women can commit to our vision and will be regularly provided with ways they can actively impact the girls in their lives.  We can collectively take action and build a world where every girl grows up to feel confident in her own beauty."

Mentoring Positive Action
Research by the Dove Self Esteem Fund found that more than 70 per cent of girls globally refrain from participating in daily activities such as sharing their opinion or attending a social event due to low self-esteem. Research also found that female role models have the power to positively shape the lives of women and girls by helping them build a positive self-esteem and reach their full personal potential in life. "We know that girls actually look up to the women in their lives and are positively influenced by them, more so than they are by celebrities or other pop culture icons," explains Jess Weiner, self -esteem expert and global Dove Ambassador, who participated in the June 24th event.

Catalyst for Change

Here are some of the messages these wonderful young women would tell their 13 year old selves:
• Age doesn't matter- you can make a difference now
• Discover yourself
• Look at what you CAN do and not what you CAN'T
• Appreciate who you have around you
• Believe in  your dream
• Don't care about your differences...this is what makes you unique
• Establish your own identity
• Work hard and stay focused
• Always believe in yourself
• Don't forget you are a teen
• You will face challenges and you will learn from them and shape who you will be in the future.
• Grab every opportunity you have
• Be greatful to everyone who has helped you
• Follow your dreams
• Hear what people around you are saying but listen to yourself
• Be the change you want to see in the future
• Motivate yourself
• Do not be afraid to try. Learn from your mistakes
• Take care of you

One young women stated...If you feel you are too small to make an impact, trying going to bed with a misquote.......Just some food for thought.

We want to hear from you!  Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and tell us what you would say to your 13 year old self!  We will share them next month!

Our Movement
Imagine a world where every girl grows up with the self-esteem she needs to reach her full potential, and where every woman enjoys feeling confident in her own beauty. Imagine the world of possibilities we can open up by helping to build self-esteem in the people we love most.

Our movement is building a world where women everywhere have the tools to inspire each other and the girls in their lives.

We’ll give you opportunities to mentor the girls in your own life, as part of a community of women from all over the world. We’ll alert you when important news on real beauty and self-esteem issues arise, and give you concrete ways to make a difference for the women and girls in your life.

Are you ready to take action? Join us!

Our History
No group is more vulnerable to the pressure to be beautiful than young girls. Dove educates and encourages the next generation to build a positive relationship with beauty. Through our online tools and workshops, we support women to act as mentors for girls growing up today. Together with our partners, we have touched the lives of millions girls to date, equipping them with critical media literacy skills and self-esteem education to help them reach their full potential.