Dove have released an incredibly moving and telling film of mums and their young daughters which, if you're a parent or a sister, will make you question how you express your feelings about your appearance.
Mothers and daughters were invited to individually write two lists: what they like about their bodies and what they didn't like.
During the film, comparisons begin to emerge of what both mother and daughter reveal about their feelings towards their body, sending out a powerful message, to both other mums and women of all ages.
The video is a compelling piece of how role models pass their beauty feelings on to the next generation.
'Self-worth and beauty? It is an echo, it can echo from me to them and them from them to others'
The powerful messages that are heard throughout the video allow for a time to think of your own actions and how you present yourself in the eyes of the younger generation.
The video is in light of how women feel and talk about beauty and how it has a profound effect on the self-esteem of girls around them. As a worrying 69% of women say their child has seen them engaging in negative body language habits, with more than a third of mothers admitting that their child has mimicked their negative beauty behaviours.
Dove hope that the video will inspire and invite women to pledge their positive beauty legacy by sharing who in their life inspires them using #FeelBeautifulFor
Lucy Attley, Dove UK Brand Director spoke about the findings: "Whether she is a mother, aunt, coach, teacher, or sister, every woman has the opportunity to make a difference to a girl's self-esteem," said "By talking about our bodies in a positive way, we can help the next generation of girls grow up to be happy and content, free from the pressure of beauty stereotypes and the burden of self-doubt."
Leading psychotherapist and Chair of the Dove Self-Esteem Project Advisory Board, Susie Orbach said: "The role models in girls' lives are often unaware of how much young girls watch and mimic them. A girl grows up absorbing the behaviours and attitudes of their family members, especially her mother's, and making them her own. These behaviours and attitudes form the foundation of who they are and how they feel about themselves."
Leading language expert, Professor Tony Mcenery at Lancaster University, says how words are extremely powerful when shaping perceptions of yourself and particular of others. "Research has shown that children as young as one are impacted by the words expressed by their parents or other influential people in their life. It's crucial that parents and role models understand the important role they play in shaping the self-esteem of their children and younger generations who look up to them."
Dove wants all women to embrace their beauty so they can make a difference to those they love. Dove is encouraging women to share who in their life inspires them to pass on a positive beauty legacy using the hashtag #FeelBeautifulFor.
Tagged in self-esteem