Like many other mothers, I share their concern as to what level of impact “beauty” messaging can have on our young children. It is a well known fact that beauty plays a huge role in our society these days to the extent that many young girls have developed low self esteem from hang ups about their looks. As a result, many of these girls fail to reach their full potential later in life. That is why I am a strong supporter of the Dove Self Esteem Fund.

Dove has recently established The Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) to raise the self-esteem of girls and young women to make them feel more beautiful and confident every day. It is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, a global effort designed to widen today’s stereotypical view of beauty.  In each country, the DSEF supports a specific charitable organization to help foster self-esteem. Take for example, in the U.S., the Fund supports uniquely ME!, a partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA that helps build self-confidence in girls ages 8 to17 with educational resources and hands-on activities. In the United Kingdom and other countries, the fund supports Body Talk, an educational program about body image and self-esteem in schools.

Check out The Reality Diaries Program, a 6 week program that revolves around the lives of four real girls who share their personal self-esteem stories online. They record their journey online through the use of blogs and videos, allowing girls across the country to go behind-the-scenes on their real lives and understand the factors that impact their self-esteem. Each girl deals with a different self-esteem issue and the Diaries will reflect how the media influences their self-esteem.

There’s a real need for all girls to hear and understand that they carry the power inside to grow up to be strong, beautiful women. You can help by being a part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty to help girls feel like champions in every part of their lives.