Dove Self Esteem Awareness Campaign

I don't need to have daughters to know that there is a culture promoting beauty above all else in young girls and in woman too, in most parts of the world. I can tell the effect this atmosphere has had by observing my two teenage boys. The first thing that comes to mind when discussing girls is the question of whether she is "hot" or not. In turn girls may sometimes feel that they need to be hot in order to be worth anything.

In an effort to change this culture, Dove is running a campaign to promote self esteem in girls and young women based on a broader definition of beauty, not the type of beauty that the glossy magazines promote endlessly. Dove's goal is to reach 5 million young women by the year 2010.

One of the tools Dove is using is "The Reality Diaries". This is a series that follows the personal stories of four young girls as they live their lives and struggle with self esteem issues. A self esteem expert provides these girls with advice through videos, chats and workshops. This seems like a great idea for young girls, enabling them to see that they are not alone, and allowing them to follow along and learn how to tackle these issues through these four girls.

If you are interested in finding out more about this program go to the Dove Self Esteem Fund website.