"Help nurture girls’ self-belief": Venus Williams joins forces with Dove and Nike to build girls' body confidence in sports

Venus Williams has joined forces with Dove and Nike in order to launch an online coaching programme aimed at building girls' body confidence in sport.

Recent research from the personal care label and sportswear brand revealed that 45% of teenage girls around the world drop out of sports, with low body confidence being the biggest driving factor in their decision to do so. This is twice the rate of teenage boys.

Moreover, in the US, 56% of girls in sports were objectified or judged based on their physical appearance while 48% dropped out after being told they didn't have the right body type for a certain sport.

The programme, called Body Confident Sport, is aimed at girls aged 11 to 17, and has been co-developed by Nike and Dove over two years. It includes interactive training modules to help coaches, parents, teachers and guardians to encourage body positivity and body confidence in sport.

"Sports have the potential to make girls feel confident and strong, yet for so many, the judgment and criticism they face within the sports environment is damaging their confidence and limiting their self-belief.

"We are proud to team up with a like-minded brand like Nike to take action towards a more equitable future for girls – on and off the field," said Dove’s Chief Marketing Officer, Alessandro Manfredi.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams teamed up with Dove and Nike to unveil Body Confident Sport.

"In sports, girls often face a tremendous amount of pressure – not just around performance and abilities, but also because of unrealistic expectations around their appearances," she said.

"I am excited to be working with Dove on this initiative to help nurture girls’ self-belief and confidence, foster a positive environment, and shift the conversation from appearance to capability.

"Our shared goal is to make sports a more inclusive, welcoming space for girls everywhere," the 43-year-old continued.