Dove launches #MyBeautyMySay to celebrate women who embrace their beauty and how it defines their achievements

Three quarters (75%) of Canadian women believe they get more compliments about how they look than on their professional achievements at work

TORONTO, June 28, 2016 /CNW/ - What do a burlesque dancer, a lawyer, a poet, a blogger, a model and an eccentrically stylish older woman have in common? They are all women who have refused to allow judgements about their beauty and the way they look to limit their achievements. For this reason they were all chosen to tell their stories as part of the new Dove My Beauty, My Say campaign.

Dove knows that women are under constant scrutiny over their appearance, putting them under pressure to 'look the part', whatever avenue they choose to pursue in life. According to The Dove Global Beauty Confidence Report, even though eight in 10 Canadian women believe every woman has something about her that is beautiful, many still feel they are limited by their looks. For example, nine in 10 Canadian women admit to having opted out of important activities, such as attending social engagements, when they didn't feel good about the way they looked.

To help tackle this problem and inspire women everywhere to overcome the beauty limits holding them back, Dove is launching the My Beauty, My Say film featuring true stories of nine remarkable women. These women are all unashamedly unique, yet share a common story of having both challenged and overcome other people's judgements about their looks.

Three Canadian women are featured in the film:

• Judith, 66, of Montreal reveals how she is growing older on her terms. As a psychologist, she hasn't changed the way she looks, her appearance, or bent to social norms associated with her profession.
• Elaine, 32, of Toronto speaks to how, after being made fun of in school for having a tooth gap and receiving frequent advice for 'fixing' her teeth, she made a video about why she is uniquely beautiful. Through her blog and videos, she now hopes to inspire others to embrace their own differences.
• Marcia, 33, and leading Montreal family lawyer and women's issues volunteer, tells the story of how she was often complimented on her looks and at times had to work harder to put her professional achievements at the forefront. This has pushed her to succeed even further and today is a leading member of the legal community.

Like the women in the My Beauty, My Say film, eight in 10 Canadian women agree they would rather look their personal best than follow what others think is beautiful. However, this isn't always easy for women to do. The Dove Global Beauty Confidence Report found three quarters (75%) of Canadian women believe they get more compliments about how they look than for their professional achievements at work – a point Marcia brings to life in the film.

"I was thrilled with the opportunity to share my story in the film and truly hope it encourages other women with similar experiences to see their beauty as a source of strength," says Elaine.

Other women featured in the My Beauty, My Say film include:

• Grace, 41, a burlesque dancer from New York, was teased mercilessly about the size of her nose from a young age. While she used to hide behind her long blonde hair and sense of humour, she learned to own her looks by discovering the punk rock movement.
• Elizabeth, 28, from New York was told growing up that straight hair was a sign of elegance and sophistication. As a result she spent hours straightening her hair, especially when attending functions or being photographed. Through poetry she found the words to speak out against the beauty standards in society and today wears her hair natural and curly, believing you shouldn't have to "fix what isn't broken".
• Rain, 26, from New York once found her way to an open casting for runway models, only to be told to come back the next day with the men, as she was mistaken for male. Undaunted, she was successful in the audition without revealing her gender. She has since taken the opportunity to challenge the industry's perceptions of what it means to be a woman.

Beauty as a superpower
The stories of the My Beauty, My Say film affirm the idea that believing in your own beauty turns it into your superpower, by giving you the confidence to achieve your full potential in life.

"Dove believes a woman's beauty should be celebrated on her own terms, not the terms of others, which is the central message of My Beauty, My Say," says Diane Laberge, Marketing Director at Unilever Canada. "Through the stories of the women profiled and our campaign, we want to give all women a platform to speak out against beauty limits."

Watch the film, share your story
Dove is inviting women to view the My Beauty, My Say film at https://youtu.be/em6ooEv_Nuk and then share their own stories of overcoming beauty limits with #mybeautymysay. Women can also learn more about the My Beauty, My Say campaign at Dove.ca.  

Ambitious goal to touch more lives
Dove believes in the importance of starting the conversation around beauty limits and confidence early in life. The Dove Global Beauty Confidence Report found eight in 10 Canadian girls have not been assertive in their opinions or stuck to their decisions, when they didn't feel good about the way they looked, while nine in 10 have stopped themselves from eating or otherwise put their health at risk.

To date the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP) has touched the lives of more than 19 million girls globally with self-esteem building tools. Continuing this commitment the DSEP is setting an ambitious goal to touch an additional 20 million lives by 2020 with self-esteem information, tools and workshops. Dove Self-Esteem Project tools can be downloaded at http://selfesteem.dove.ca. 

About Dove and the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide. The Dove Self-Esteem Project is a global Dove initiative that was first established as part of The Campaign for Real Beauty. Its mission is to educate and encourage the next generation of girls to build a positive relationship with beauty and to help raise self-esteem, enabling them to realize their full potential in life. It is one of the only projects in Canada dedicated to the self-esteem of women and girls. For more information visit www.dove.ca and for self-esteem resources visit www.selfesteem.dove.ca.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of food, home and personal care products with sales in more than 190 countries. In Canada, our portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe®, Becel®, Ben & Jerry's®, Breyers®, Clear®, Degree®, Dove® personal care products, Fruttare®, Hellmann's®, Klondike®, Knorr®, Lipton®, Magnum®, Nexxus®, Ponds®, Popsicle®, Q-Tips®, Simple®, St. Ives®, TRESemmé®, Vaseline® and others. All of the preceding brand names are owned or used under license by Unilever Canada Inc.

In the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Index Unilever was ranked number one in its sector. It led the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the 2015 GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey for the fifth year running, and in 2015 was ranked the most sustainable food and beverage company in Oxfam's Behind the Brands Scorecard.

SOURCE Dove Stella - My Beauty My Say

or to arrange an interview with Diane Laberge or one of the Canadian women featured in the film, contact: Marion Morris, Harbinger, [phone] x260, [email protected]