Labels that Limit

Most women around the world (70%) have felt labeled by others, according to a new Global Survey by Gillette Venus. Those labels can be assigned as young as 10 years old and nearly half of those surveyed say those labels have had a negative effect on their lives (43%). Despite the advances of women in the work place and home, the survey shows that girls still feel being labeled affects their self-perception and life choices. Interestingly, women reported their classmates as the top group of people (67%) who have given them a label, and more women frequently label others who have been labeled themselves (62%) vs. women who have never been labeled (34%).

In response Gillette Venus is launching today the “Use Your And” campaign to inspire women and girls to stand-up against one-dimensional labels, encouraging them to #UseYourAnd and unleash the innate potential inside all women.

As part of the campaign, Gillette Venus is releasing the new “AND Stand” video to spark a global conversation and inspire women to use their ANDs – all of the qualities, attributes and characteristics that make a woman who she is. The video features real women telling personal stories of lost potential stemming from labels, set against a re-mastered recording of the iconic ‘She’s Got It’ song.
“We created this campaign based on what we were hearing from women. They feel that beauty brands tend to focus only on singular dimensions of women – either Super Model or Super Mom – when, in fact, most women are a fabulous mix of everything in between,” said Charlene Patten, Gillette Venus Global Brand Franchise Leader. “Women are limited by one-dimensional labels from a very young age, which leads to significant loss of potential. For example, if she’s labeled pretty, it is assumed she can’t be smart so she behaves accordingly. At Gillette Venus, we believe that all women have the right to achieve their full potential by embracing their ‘ANDs’ and not be limited by any ‘ORs’,” said Patten.

Gillette Venus is partnering with Claudia Chan, founder of S.H.E. Summit Global Conference & Women’s Empowerment Expert, to educate women in identifying their stereotypical labels and support them to use their ANDs. Claudia's expertise lies in making empowerment and mentorship available to all women with the belief that if women realize their potential, they will change the world. Women can visit www.GilletteVenus.com/ to access Claudia’s exclusive tips, tools and advice.