CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the video with the accompanying corrected video.
The release reads:
ALWAYS® STRIVES TO KEEP GIRLS IN SPORTS BY TEAMING UP WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ACCESS AND SUPPORT FOR GIRLS EVERYWHERE TO KEEP PLAYING #LIKEAGIRL
Latest Always® Survey Reveals Nearly Seven in Ten Girls Do Not Feel Encouraged to Play Sports*
Today, Always® announces that it is teaming up with organizations around the world to contribute to the goal of keeping girls in sports through the Always® #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing program. Coinciding with the beginning of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Always® is partnering with UN Women to help girls build and maintain their confidence through sports. In the U.S., Always® will support Girls on the Run programs and work with retailers to help keep girls in sports.
“Earlier this summer, Always® embarked on a new chapter in its mission to stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty by encouraging all girls to stay in sports and Keep Playing #LikeAGirl. We’re so excited to create meaningful relationships that make a real difference to keep more girls in sports, and drive awareness on the important role that sports play in building girls’ confidence,” said Fama Francisco, President for Global Feminine Care, Procter & Gamble.
Always and UN Women Partnership
Partnership efforts kicked off on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where Always® committed its support to the UN Women & International Olympic Committee (IOC) initiative “One Win Leads to Another,” that will give 2,500 local Brazilian girls aged 10-18 years access to sports and a confidence-building curriculum as part of a six-month pilot program. These organizations are coming together to achieve their shared goal to invest in girls’ skills and training to support a generation of stronger, more confident and empowered women.
“The power of sport should never be underestimated. It can change lives, through increasing girls’ and young women’s beliefs in their own abilities, encouraging them to take initiative and aim high”, said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Always and Walmart “50 Teams, 50 States” Program
As part of the Keep Playing #LikeAGirl program, Always is working with retailers to get the word out and help keep girls in sports. As an example, today, Always® and Walmart® announced they are working together to provide much-needed assistance to keep girls in sports across the US. Together, they will provide one girls teams in each of the fifty states with resources like new equipment, uniforms or a facility upgrade to help give girls the confidence to Keep Playing #LikeAGirl. Building on the Always® #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing movement, together, they will reinforce the link between sports and confidence and provide coaching tips to help keep girls motivated to participate in sports through support for coaches, educational materials and access to experts.
“Always® and Walmart® have something powerful in common – we’re both working to make a difference in women’s lives,” said Annie Walker, vice president, over the counter merchandising, Walmart® U.S. “We’re proud to support the Always®’ ‘50 Teams, 50 States' Program, supporting local communities in which we operate and giving schools the help they need to keep girls playing #LikeAGirl.”
The “50 Teams, 50 States” program started with a junior high girls’ basketball team in Hulbert, Oklahoma. The entire experience was captured in a new Always® #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing Lady Riders | OK video launching today. The girls were asked about the challenges and the benefits of their athletic experience, and what helps them stay in the game. Hear their stories, watch their confidence and excitement grow as they’re recognized and be inspired by the impact that community support can have on girls at this critical life stage by watching the Always® #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing Lady Riders | OK video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7zD7q5_RcQ
“The fact that Always® and Walmart® chose to support our school and spent time helping our girls has had a huge effect on their confidence already,” said Coach Towanna Scott of Hulbert Public Schools. “The backing has helped to change opinions and show people that girls in sports matter. To see the girls’ faces when they realized how much support they truly have is an experience none of us will ever forget.”
Always® Girls on Run Sponsorship and Educational Materials
Always® is also announcing its support of Girls on the Run across the U.S. and expanding on the Always® Global Confidence Teaching Curriculum, a program that will benefit millions of girls around the world. The new educational materials will contain sports-specific guidance for coaches and parents, incorporating the latest research on confidence-building. The materials have been co-developed by Always® and education thought leaders and experts, and build on Always®’ 30 year heritage in puberty education.
About Always #LikeAGirl
The Always #LikeAGirl movement is being fueled by the millions of girls around the world who are changing #LikeAGirl to mean amazing things. The Always #LikeAGirl campaign launched in June 2014 was inspired by the insight that the start of puberty and the first period mark the lowest moment in confidence for girls and how harmful words can add to that drop in confidence. It demonstrated the profound effect the phrase “like a girl” can have on girls’ self-confidence and it inspired a movement, which has started to change public perception: after seeing the #LikeAGirl video, most people (76 percent of women ages 16 to 24 and 59 percent of men) said the video changed their perception of the phrase “like a girl,”*** according to the Always Puberty & Confidence Wave II Study. But it could not stop there. In 2015, a new Always study revealed that 72 percent of girls feel society limits them by telling them what they should and should not do or be. And more than half of girls felt that societal limitations would be the same or worse ten years from now, showing a lack of hope for change. Always could not accept that and launched the Unstoppable #LikeAGirl campaign to empower all girls to show the world that they could do or be anything and everything. In March 2016, the brand tackled the subtle bias conveyed through emojis, and the resulting conversation can be credited in part for a proposal to UNICODE Consortium that has yielded more female options. In June 2016, the brand released new survey data which finds that half of girls quit sports by age 17 and that seven in ten girls do not feel encouraged to play, despite data that links sports participation to increased confidence. To help keep girls in sports, Always launched the new Always #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing initiative, now in progress. For more information about the #LikeAGirl movement, visit www.always.com.
Survey Methodology
*The Always Confidence & Puberty Wave IV Study was conducted by MSLGROUP Research utilizing Research Now Panels that surveyed a total of 1,514 Americans. There was a nationally representative sample group of 1,006 females aged 16 to 24 year old and 508 males aged 16 to 24. The survey was implemented between the dates of December 30, 2015 through January 7, 2016.
**The Always Confidence & Puberty Wave III Study was conducted by MSLGROUP Research utilizing Research Now Panels that surveyed a total of 1,800 Americans (1,300 American females aged 16 to 24 years old and 500 American males aged 16 to 24). There was a nationally representative sample group of 1,000 females and 500 males as well as an additional boost of 150 African American and 150 Hispanic American females. The survey was implemented between the dates of April 30, 2015 through May 8, 2015.
***The Always Confidence & Puberty Wave II Study was conducted by MSLGROUP using the Research Now Panel that surveyed a total of 1,800 Americans (1,300 American females aged 16 to 49 years old and 500 American males aged 16 to 49). There was a nationally representative sample group of 1,000 females and 500 males as well as an additional boost of 150 African American and 150 Hispanic American females. The survey was implemented between the dates of December 5, 2014 through December 12, 2014.
About Always
Always®, the world's leader in feminine protection, offers a wide range of feminine pads, wipes and liners designed to fit different body types, period flows and preferences. The Always line of feminine products includes Always Infinity™, Always Ultra Thins, Always Maxis, Always Liners and Always Feminine Wipes. Please visit www.always.com for more information.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
