Why
Even the most confident woman has those moments of uncertainty. Am I pretty enough? Do I have what it takes to succeed? What do they think? And for most of us, those moments come much too often.
Lack of confidence happens over time. We start out as girls with big dreams, ideas of changing the world, making our mark. Then over the years, our confidence is undermined by the media, the advertising world, parents, friends, adversaries and even our own inner voices.
We succumb to peer pressure to fit in. We bully others and allow ourselves to be bullied. We participate in gossiping and hazing. We let ourselves become victims of spousal and dating abuse. We let others define our self-worth. We participate in risky behaviors like smoking, drinking and sexual promiscuity. We stand back and let others take the lead in organizations, in the workplace and in the country.
Enough is enough! It’s time to embrace our self-worth and uplift the women and girls in our lives. Become more confident and join the movement to promote confidence in others. That means standing up against media stereotypes, saying “no” to peer pressure and risky behaviors, putting an end to spousal and dating abuse, not participating in relational aggression like bullying, gossiping and hazing.
Together we can make a difference!
Facts
Did you know...
- 90% of all women want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance.
- 81% of 10 year old girls are afraid of being fat.
- Women are routinely degraded in everything from pop culture to casual conversation.
- A girl is bullied every 7 minutes in the school yard, playground, stairwell, classroom or bathroom.
- Every 15 seconds a woman is battered.
- 57% of rock music videos portray women as a sex object, a victim, as unintelligent, or in a condescending way.
- 57% of women are targeted for workplace bullying.
- 47% of students allow themselves to be hazed prior to coming to college.
- 1 in 3 girls who have been in a serious relationship say they’ve been concerned about being physically hurt by their partner.
- Women are devalued in the workplace, making only 76% of their male peers’ salaries.
- Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying.
- One out of four college-age women have an eating disorder.
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and teenagers. Teen girls are more likely to attempt suicide.
- Women make up nearly 51% of the population, but hold just 16% of the seats in Congress.
- Three-fourths of girls with low self-esteem engage in negative activities, such as disordered eating, bullying, smoking or drinking.
- Only 2% of women think they are beautiful.
- 1 in 3 girls between the ages of 16 and 18 say sex is expected for people their age if they’re in a relationship.
For more facts, visit the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and the Girl Scout Research Institute.