Singer Natasha Bedingfield and Olympian Julie Foudy Join Women Across America for Second Annual Dove® Self-Esteem Weekend

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Oct. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazing things can happen when we all come together. Grammy® Award-nominated singer Natasha Bedingfield, former Olympian Julie Foudy, Dove® Global Self-Esteem Ambassador Jess Weiner, and countless women across America, are coming together for the second annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend, which will take place from October 21-23. These women, inspired by the idea that everyone can make a difference in a girl's self-esteem, are committing to spending one hour with a girl in their life to help the next generation develop a positive relationship with beauty.

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The Dove brand is committed to inspiring women and girls to reach their full potential by taking care of themselves and each other. Last year, thousands of women and girls came together to participate in the first-ever Dove Self-Esteem Weekend and launch the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, which set a bold new vision for the brand: to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. The momentum generated by this grassroots effort continues this year as more women lend their support to the cause of building self-esteem in girls.

"If you spend the time listening to a girl, and helping her develop a positive relationship with beauty, you really can make a world of difference," said Jess Weiner, Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador. "I invite everyone to join us for the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend and celebrate real beauty."

A Weekend of Beautiful Activity Kicks Off in New York

Dove national partners Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as other organizations and individuals, will help bring the Dove Self Esteem Weekend to life through thousands of events that bring together women and girls.

Dove kicked off the weekend in New York with Natasha Bedingfield, Julie Foudy, Jess Weiner and members of the Greater New York Council of the Girl Scouts, who participated in an honest discussion about issues affecting girls' self-esteem; the event included a songwriting exercise to encourage girls to celebrate real beauty, and provided girls with the opportunity to talk about setting goals.

"I am so excited to be a part of this phenomenal movement," said singer Natasha Bedingfield.  "I aim to inspire girls through my music and believe we should all do our part, especially during the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend, to encourage girls and give them the confidence to pursue their dreams."

Julie Foudy, former Women's World Cup captain, said: "I see the transformative power of teamwork in girls' lives through my leadership academy, so I am delighted to join the Dove brand in its efforts to reach girls with self-esteem programming. We can all do our part to motivate girls, and the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend is a great way for women everywhere to start making a difference."

There Are Many ways to Get Involved in the Weekend

• Find or Register An Event on the Dove Facebook Map

Women can share their plans for the weekend, or locate a public event in their area, on the interactive Dove Facebook map. The map will show where events are taking place and will serve as a visual representation of the reach of this effort.

• Become an Advocate for Self-Esteem

Women can download a badge to show their support for building self-esteem in girls and provide their communities with direct access to the Dove Self-Esteem toolkit. The badge is available at www.dove.com.

• Access Free Tools and Resources to Motivate and Inspire Girls, including "A Girl's Guide to the Digital World"

Individuals can download free self-esteem building tools and activities to inspire a girl in their life by visiting Dove.com. These free resources include a new conversation guide regarding online behavior called "A Girl's Guide to the Digital World - How to Log Off of Digital Drama." The guide, developed by Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador Jess Weiner, aims to help girls maintain positive self-esteem. The Dove brand has also compiled a tip sheet with recommendations from Dove communities on Facebook and Twitter on how to build self-esteem in girls.

• Tell Us: Who Inspired You?

The Dove brand is asking women to answer the question "Who Inspired You?" to trigger a donation to Girls Inc. Dove will donate $1 to the organization for every answer received.(1) Women can share their stories, and reflect on who has made a difference in their lives, on Facebook.com/Dove and on Dove.com.

There is More Work to be Done

Dove started a global conversation about the need for a wider definition of beauty with the Campaign for Real Beauty. The findings of a global study in 2004 revealed that only two percent of women considered themselves beautiful.(2)  Dove efforts have moved the needle since then, but there is more work to be done. Dove global research shows that anxiety about looks begins at an early age, as 72 percent of girls say they feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful.(3) Further, when girls feel bad about their looks, 60 percent disconnect from life, avoiding normal daily activities like attending school or even giving their opinion.(4)

"Together with experts and key partners, the Dove brand has created a global self-esteem movement to inspire and motivate girls," said Rob Candelino, Marketing Director, Dove U.S., Unilever. "We have reached more than eight million girls so far with our self-esteem programs and have set a goal of reaching 15 million girls by 2015."

The Dove Self-Esteem Weekend is one of many ways that women can join the brand in its efforts to build confidence in girls. Women can continue to share their stories and messages of inspiration with the brand – and each other – throughout the year via social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). Women who wish to learn more about the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, or wish to access tools and resources to inspire a girl in their life can visit www.dove.com for more information.

About Dove

Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide.  One in every three households uses a Dove product(5), which includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, body mists, hair care and styling aids. Dove Men+Care™ is the newest range of products from Dove, developed specially for men. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180.  With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.  In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Omo, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, TIGI, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2010.  For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

About Girls Inc.

Girls Incorporated is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. For over 50 years, Girls Incorporated has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Today, innovative programs help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.

Contact:
Sharelyn Devonish/Edelman
212-704-8280
[email protected]

Stacie Bright/Unilever
[email protected]

SOURCE Unilever