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Dove project boosts self-esteem of teenage girls
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(JP/Ben Latuihamallo)
O
ver half of teenage girls around the world do not have high self-esteem about the shape of their body, according to the 2017 Dove Global Girls Beauty and Confidence Report. It is the largest study by the personal care brand and examines the impact of self-esteem, pressures and confidence on girls and their bodies.
Dove found that girls who have such low self-esteem about their body opt out of important life experiences and as a result may never reach their full potential. This is not only detrimental to girls but to society, as it ends up missing out on the next generation of female leaders.
In 2004, Dove launched the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP), as part of its social mission and ongoing commitment to help girls and young women develop a positive relationship with the way they look.
Through DSEP, the brand has made an impact on the lives of more than 20 million young people around the world, making it the world’s largest evidence-based self-esteem program. It is part of the company's mission to alter perceptions of beauty into a source of confidence instead of anxiety.
Building body positivity in Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the countries where Dove (and its brand owner Unilever) has worked in to build self-esteem among young people.
"The main purpose of this project is to promote that nobody should feel bad about themselves. Many young girls go through body shaming. They're not comfortable in their skin, they think they're not beautiful. The whole objective of this project is to make sure that the young women of Indonesia and across the world are very confident about themselves and how they look, and there's no body shaming involved," said Asima Haq, head of the hair care division at Unilever Indonesia.
Confidence is important, as Dove Indonesia's DSEP partner in the country, non-profit organization Indonesia Mengajar (Indonesia Teaches), has found.
Among the areas Indonesia Mengajar has focused on includes remote areas from Aceh to Papua. What they have discovered is that while body positivity among young women in Indonesia is as low as their global counterparts, confidence among people in these remote regions is particularly low.
"Why do the winners of student contests tend to be from Jakarta? It's because students in remote regions tend to have low self-esteem. Their parents and teachers discourage them from competing, for fear it might bring shame to them," said Haifa, a representative of the non-profit.
Inspiring SMAN 74 students
Dove's most recent endeavor in building self-esteem among teens saw the brand visiting SMAN 74 state high school in Kebayoran Lama Selatan, South Jakarta, and hosting a talk show to encourage body positivity among the students.
Held on April 16, the event served as to commemorate Kartini Day, which falls annually on April 21.
Guests and speakers included successful women and inspiring figures such as Angkie Yudistia, a deaf woman who has written inspirational books and helped 1,021 other people with disabilities gain employment in vocational fields and places such as call centers and data input centers.
It also included fashion photographer Nicoline Patricia Malina, Liputan6.com lifestyle editor Adinda Tri Wardhani and Elvi Hendrani, who is head of data and analysis of violence against women and children at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.
Each of these women shared with students their stories of growing up and the confidence-related hurdles they faced on their road to success. Nicoline Patricia Malina, for example, was often belittled by her peers for being too skinny.
"The more you think about what you don't have, the less confidence you have. As I grow older, I realized that whatever kind of body we have, what's important is that we are healthy and grateful for what we are given," Nicoline said.
Likewise, Elvi Hendrani was often bullied by her parents and teachers for being terrible at mathematics. It wasn't until she met a neighbor who was studying at university that math began to click for her.
"At school, all the bullying from my teacher put me out of my comfort zone. But when I studied math with my neighbor, I found it easier to learn. This boost in confidence was important for me," said Elvi, who later on in life would go on to earn a degree in mathematics.
The event also included a workshop, during which Dove invited several dozen SMAN 74 high school girls to examine and alter their self-perceptions of the "ideal" woman.
Students were asked to fill out surveys that contained questions such as whether or not they like seeing themselves in photographs or whether or not they are worried about what others have to say about their appearance. The girls were also asked to draw what they viewed to be the ideal woman and to reconsider what it means to be beautiful.
Nurturing future presidents
Dove's workshop and talk show at SMAN 74 was just one of the ways the company has worked to build self-esteem among young girls. The DSEP has been active in the country since 2016.
In its two years of activity in Indonesia, the DSEP has reached out to and affected the lives of more than 140,000 teens from 267 schools across the archipelago. By 2018, Dove's goal is to reach another 150,000 teens. Globally, Dove wants to reach 40 million young people by 2020.
Dove cited historical figures like Kartini to the students at SMAN 74 and how women’s confidence has helped create a better world.
"Women in history were confident. They didn't wait for the perfect conditions. Their confidence came first, then they created change," said Tina Talisa, a talk show presenter who served as one of the workshop’s speakers.
According to Alawuddin, SMAN 74's principal, building confidence is important for giving the country its future female presidents.
"I am grateful for Dove's efforts in helping our students become more confident. Students in this era of globalization tend to be more insecure, as they always have technology that allows them to access images that affect their perceptions of body image. I hope that these girls can pursue a concept of self so that they can make the most of the opportunities presented to them. Do not despair. Be confident and become leaders, even presidents. We have only had one female president in Indonesia. I hope that within the next 20 years we can have our second female president," Alawuddin said.
