Following on from self-esteem, grossophobia and the fight against the stigmatization of frizzy hair, Dove is now tackling the place of women in the world of sport. In partnership with equipment manufacturer Nike, the brand aims to raise public awareness of the fact that many teenage girls give up their sporting activities because of a lack of physical confidence.
Dove and Nike conducted a survey to better understand the relationship young girls have with their bodies when they play sport.
According to the two manufacturers, only four out of 10 girls say they feel good about themselves when they’re active. Nearly two out of three respondents have considered or are considering giving up training because of self-confidence issues. And those with low body esteem are almost three times more likely to quit than others.
“In sport, there’s often a lot of talk about the body, focusing on appearance rather than ability. During puberty, a delicate period marked by emotional ups and downs, this talk can create body image problems and do lasting damage to young girls’ self-confidence,” explains Dove. “Half of teenage girls drop out due to body image issues, and they are twice as likely as boys. 46% of girls who quit were told they didn’t have the ideal measurements for their practices, while 49% were teased, criticized and bullied because of their size.”
Coaches play a key role in creating a better environment.
71% of girls said that at some point they had felt discouraged by their sports coach.
To curb this problem, Dove and Nike have …
