Dove calls on Canadians to encourage praise that focuses on personality and achievements, not just appearance, to build real confidence in girls

For generations, girls have been praised for how they look, and while it’s true they are “pretty” and “cute”, they’re also so much more. When we call out a girl’s beauty but forget to tell her that she’s also “kind and clever” or “strong and creative” we can accidentally send the message that how she looks is the only thing that defines her worth. Ahead of International Day of the Girl on October 11, Dove is launching #ChangeTheCompliment, a global call aimed at rethinking how we talk to, and about, young girls.

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Dove calls on Canadians to #ChangeTheCompliment

By shifting attention from appearance to what a girl’s body can do, as well as her character, capabilities, and achievements, we create more reasons for her to feel confident. Dove’s 2024 The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report found that over 60 per cent of girls report feeling pressure to be beautiful, and by adolescence, 50 per cent of girls admit disliking something about their appearance. Dove’s reminder to parents and caregivers to call girls “beautiful and strong” is a small shift with powerful potential.

“We know that low confidence in appearance can take root as early as childhood and have a lasting impact on body image, friendships and even performance at school,” said Divya Singh, Head of Unilever Personal Care, Canada. “That’s why The Dove Self-Esteem Project is focused on helping young people see themselves for who they truly are and embrace their personalities and accomplishments—not just their reflection. With #ChangeTheCompliment, we’re asking everyone to make a small change in language that can have a big impact on how girls see themselves.”

To guide the conversation in Canada, Dove is partnering with Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, a career psychologist, now author, educator and founder of The North Star Clinic in B.C. With more than 20 years’ experience, Dr. Lapointe boasts deep expertise in child development and family-centered care, bringing a powerful perspective to how words can shape self-esteem.

“We all love to hear nice things about how we look – but for young girls, only receiving praise about their appearance may unintentionally harm their self-image,” said Dr. Lapointe. “When we remind girls that they are more than how they look, like celebrating what their bodies can do, or calling out their bravery, curiosity and kindness, we help girls build confidence that lasts. #ChangeTheCompliment is about reminding girls that while they are pretty, they are also brave, smart and strong!”

Canadian creators, educators and parents are also joining the movement by sharing their own #ChangeTheCompliment moments on social media—from writing affirmations on mirrors and dropping thoughtful notes in lunchboxes to collecting compliments in a jar. These small actions are already creating big ripples across Canadian classrooms, communities and homes.

The Dove Self-Esteem Project, the world’s largest provider of body confidence education, has reached 137 million young people across 153 countries with free, evidence-based resources co-created with body image experts. To support these important conversations and uplift the next generation of young girls, resources include Confident Me, a classroom workshop to help build student’s body confidence, and Amazing Me, a set of self-esteem building lessons for teaching self-esteem in the classroom.

For more information and access to The Dove Self-Esteem Project tools and resources, visit dove.ca.

About Dove Self-Esteem Project

As the world's leading provider of self-esteem education for girls, Dove continues to support girls wherever their self-esteem is at stake and ensure the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with how they look. Since 2004, Dove has reached over 135 million young people globally, in over 150 countries through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.

About the research: 2024 The Real State of Beauty: a global report

Online survey conducted by Edelman DXI (Data x Intelligence), a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics, and data consultancy, in November / December 2023. This 25-minute survey was completed in 20 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, KSA, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Türkiye, the USA, and the UK.

Researchers spoke with more than 33,000 respondents: 19,306 respondents aged between 18 to 64 years old (14,673 women, 3,776 men*) and 14,292 respondents aged 10 to 17 years old (9,475 girls, 4,753 boys*).

15 experts ranging from academic experts to consultants on body image and activists in the field were consulted on the research questions and outputs, and we ensured the survey was representative of various subgroups e.g. people with larger bodies, disabilities, mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ people and people of colour.

All interviews were conducted in local languages and dialects, with only appropriate questions asked in each market and the methodology was consistent with the level of national online penetration required to avoid sampling bias.

About Dove

Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.

Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For more than 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:

• Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
• Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
• Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About Unilever in North America

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.

Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula’s Choice, and Dermalogica.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca

About Unilever in Canada

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.

Our leading brands in Canada include Dove, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, SheaMoisture, TRESemmé, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Breyers, Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Liquid I.V., and OLLY.

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca or www.unilever.ca/fr

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Ahead of International Day of the Girl on October 11, Dove is launching #ChangeTheCompliment, a global call aimed at rethinking how we praise young girls.