Dove has partnered with Nike to launch the Body Confident Sport online coaching programme.
The coaching tool is proven to reduce self-objectification and increase body-esteem and will be delivered through a global network of organisations in schools and sports clubs.
The programme builds on Nike’s and Dove’s long standing commitments to support girls and aims to reach more than one million young people around the world.
Body Confident Sport is a first-of-its-kind, scientifically-proven set of coaching tools to build body confidence in 11–17-year-old girls.
Coaches can be powerful role models to create a positive environment for girls in sports, one that prioritises self-esteem over performance.
The two brands over the course of two years, in partnership with world-renowned experts, including the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Body Confident Sport addresses new findings on how the sports environment impacts girls’ body confidence and self-esteem.
Venus Williams, tennis champion and entrepreneur, said: “In sports, girls often face a tremendous amount of pressure – not just around performance and abilities, but also because of unrealistic expectations around their appearances.
“I am excited to be working with Dove on this initiative to help nurture girls’ self-belief and confidence, foster a positive environment, and shift the conversation from appearance to capability. Our shared goal is to make sports a more inclusive, welcoming space for girls everywhere.”
Alessandro Manfredi, Chief Marketing Officer at Dove, said: “Since 2004, Dove has been working to arm the next generation with tools to build body confidence and self-esteem so that no young person is held back.
Sports have the potential to make girls feel confident and strong, yet for so many, the judgement and criticism they face within the sports environment is damaging their confidence and limiting their self-belief.”
Vanessa Garcia-Brito, VP, Chief Social and Community Impact Officer at Nike, said: “Globally, girls face complex cultural and social barriers, and they also enter sports later and drop out of sports earlier.
“Our partnership with Dove, and unique focus on coaching through body confidence, aims to change that.
“Together, we’re taking action to break barriers by providing coaches with the tools to empower girls with a lifetime of confidence.”
