https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpgd6qR-5Jg

A staggering 96% of women do not choose the word ‘beautiful’ to describe how they look.

That’s a huge number, and if you think about it, is pretty alarming, especially since this experiment was shot in five countries across the globe. This means that women all over the world don’t feel they are pretty enough, which can ultimately affect decisions they make in life. They don’t feel they are good enough to claim the things they want, because they think they are average. This is so wrong. We all should feel beautiful and empowered, and not let society dictate the standards of beauty. I personally know how true this is because growing up I’ve always shied away from certain social situations, hobbies and sports. I was very thin all throughout grade school and high school, and I thought I was ugly. I didn’t think I deserved to be part of something good, and I was ashamed to show people the real me. It took me years to get over this kind of thinking, and I have to admit, sometimes I still struggle with it.

I have to give props to Dove for producing a candid, eye-opening film to encourage women to not only accept that they are beautiful but be able to use the word ‘beautiful’ when describing themselves. It is a great reminder to us that yes, feeling beautiful is a personal choice and we can decide on this every day when we wake up. The Dove Choose Beautiful film captures real women choosing between two words that would best describe themselves: the socially acceptable ‘average’ and the frequently avoided ‘beautiful’. The film reveals that women often struggle with calling themselves beautiful. “Although the majority of women don’t describe themselves as beautiful, 80% agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful. It’s time women think differently about this choice,” said Steve Miles, SeniorVice President, Dove. “Dove Choose Beautiful urges women to embrace this choice, and inwardly challenge their tendency to not ‘choose beautiful’ because when we do it unlocks happiness and confidence that impacts women’s self-esteem.”

“While we were filming, it was so clear that the women who chose to feel beautiful shined with a positive, empowered outlook,” said Paul Dektor, Film Director of Dove Choose Beautiful.  “We all have the personal  and powerful ability to rise above others’ points of view, social media, and pop culture, and I hope the Dove Choose Beautiful film inspires women around the world to reconsider how they view their own beauty. ”Dove has long been committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. Dove hopes to inspire women to develop a positive relationship with beauty, because when women recognize that they are beautiful, they bring out within them a powerful ability to positively impact the next generation of women. The brand has set a goal of reaching 15 million young lives with the self-esteem program by the end of 2015 and has reached over 14 million to date.

Watch Dove Choose Beautiful at Dove.com/ChooseBeautiful and make your choice @Doveph with #ChooseBeautiful.Choose what makes you feel beautiful, choose it often, and share it with the world. Learn more about the women’schoices and the Dove Choose Beautiful global experience by following @Dove on Tumblr.