Action on Body Confidence is all about advocacy
When we talk about advocacy, we mean:
We influence people to take decisions that will improve our lives and the lives of others
So what does that mean in detail?
- we influence people by speaking, doing and educating.
- to take decisions - for example change policies or regulations, allocate funding, provide support.
- that will improve our life and the lives of others - this is the result we are trying to achieve
Anyone, of any age, can do advocacy.
"Body confidence is very low for girls in Argentina…it’s a critical topic.”
Why advocate for body confidence?
Beyond education and empowerment:
Free Being Me boosts girls’ body confidence and they share the important messages with others, raising the body confidence of those around them.
Advocacy through Action on Body Confidence gives Girl Guides and Girl Scouts the opportunity to make a lasting change to the way their society works, working towards a world where there are no appearance-pressures.
An urgent issue:
Globally, girls - and boys - face pressures that stop them reaching their full potential. Everyday life bombards them with the ‘Image Myth’ – the idea that they must look a certain way to be beautiful. These messages come through from friends and family, advertisements, TV and films, social media, magazines and much more.
Dove research shows that 8 in 10 girls will avoid important activities in life when they are worried about the way they look. We must act to change society, to lessen this pressure and help girls feel free to be themselves.
It’s our responsibility:
WAGGGS wants to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world. We want to create a world where all girls are valued and take action to change the world. Advocacy for body confidence helps us move towards these goals.
At local, national and global level, we can tackle decision makers in institutions, business, media and governments to make change happen.