What are body confidence and self-esteem?

A body-confident young woman feels free to be herself, to follow her dreams, fulfil her potential and make a difference in the world.  The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and Dove believe that no girl or young woman should be held back by worries about the way she looks.

The facts

A  Dove Global Survey (2010) found that 6 out of 10 girls stop doing something they love or that will benefit them because they feel bad about the way they look.

A  World Association study (2013) of women and girls from 70 countries found that 45% of respondents think girls are held back from taking on leadership positions because of low body confidence.

What is body confidence?

Body confidence is how a person feels about the way they look. When we have body confidence we accept, and are happy with, how we look and what our bodies can do.

What is self-esteem?

A feeling of self-respect. Someone with high self-esteem believes in themselves, and in their worth as a person.

How does body confidence help children and young people reach their full potential?

People with body confidence don’t worry about the way their bodies look, and feel free to be themselves; free to enjoy and pursue activities and interests. This helps boost their self-esteem. With body confidence, young people often have better relationships with friends and family, and are more confident at school and in voicing their opinion.

Low body-confidence can prevent children and young people from engaging in activities they would enjoy, and even in important activities like going to school, or attending a doctor’s appointment.

Why this topic?

The World Association and Dove believe that every girl and young woman should be given the opportunity to fulfil her potential in life. Body confidence is an important building block of self-esteem. A young person with high self-esteem believes in herself and her abilities, and feels empowered to make her own choices in life, make her voice heard and make a difference to her local and global community.