Young women are exposed to hundreds of advertisements a day, many of which fall short of portraying women in a way that promotes empowerment, confidence and self-worth.
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org, believes women systematically underestimate their own abilities. In her 2014 Ad Age Column, Rethinking Marketing to Women, she highlights some brands that have made an impact when it comes to evolving how we portray women in advertising: Pantene, Covergirl and Dove.
In February, LeanIn.org teamed up with Getty Images to create the Lean In Collection, a library of shared images using the hashtag #RepictureWomen that depict what powerful women and girls look like to different people.
For the past 10 weeks, I've had the privilege of coaching a Girls on the Run team along with two amazing mothers. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence in young girls while establishing a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. Together, we've guided 16 strong, thoughtful and inspiring 3rd-5th-graders through a curriculum that teaches them life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The program culminated on June 6 with our girls being both physically and mentally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K running event at Monroe Community College. After the race, we shared our team photo with #RepictureWomen.
One of the lessons in the program focuses on how women are portrayed in media. We shared a video called Always Run Like a Girl. Before we did, we created two lines and asked each team member to show what it means to "run like a girl." Our girls ran with their chins high, their legs strong and a fierce spirit. That's an impression made to last.
View Sheryl Sandberg's TED talk on why we have too few women leaders.