"I left India feeling so inspired by the children I met”: British singer-songwriter Jessie Ware supports UNICEF and the Dove Self-Esteem Project to build children’s confidence and life skills
- Ahead of International Day of the Girl UNICEF UK Ambassador, Jessie Ware visited Uttar Pradesh, India, where she met school children taking part in the Dove Self-Esteem Project and heard directly about their experiences.
- The visit highlighted how UNICEF and the Dove Self Esteem Project, are working together with Government, to help children build confidence, challenge appearance-related barriers and develop the life skills needed to thrive.
London, 8 October 2026 – UNICEF UK Ambassador Jessie Ware joined children at schools in Uttar Pradesh, India to learn about the impact of the Dove Self-Esteem Project helping to build body confidence and self-esteem through education.
The Dove Self Esteem Project equips children with practical life skills, helping them challenge harmful stereotypes, build confidence and better navigate adolescence. Through evidence-based activities, including classroom discussions and interactive exercises with comic books, children are encouraged to strengthen self-esteem and feel empowered to have their voices heard, supporting their rights to education and protection.
Jessie Ware is a singer, songwriter, broadcaster and author, known for championing honest conversations about self-expression and wellbeing on her award-winning podcast, Table Manners. As a mother of three young children, she is passionate about helping young people develop a positive relationship with themselves.
Jessie Ware, UNICEF UK Ambassador, said: “It was a privilege to meet the children taking part in the Dove Self-Esteem Project in Uttar Pradesh, India and hear, in their own words, how the programme is helping them find their voice and believe in themselves.”
“I was struck by their creativity and ambition. Hearing that some of the boys and girls hadn’t always felt confident enough to speak up and then seeing them bring the comic book stories to life and so openly share their experiences and ideas, was incredibly inspiring.”
“The children taught me so much. Our lives may look very different, but so much of what we talked about felt completely universal: wanting to feel confident in who you are, finding your voice and not worrying too much about what other people think.”
During her visit to Uttar Pradesh, Jessie met young girls and boys who shared how the project has been influencing their everyday lives including Gauri, a 13-year-old girl who said the programme had shown her “that girls and boys should be treated equally”, adding: “It’s not that girls can’t do what boys do, or vice versa. Both are equal.”
Anushka, a 17-year-old girl, spoke about the pressures young people can experience around their appearance, including “body image or skin tone judgement at home”, and said the programme had taught her the importance of focusing on her own self-development.
For Ayush, a 14-year-old boy, the lessons about gender equality have translated into changes at home. “Learning from the comic books has shown me that girls and boys are equal,” he said. “I now help my mum and sister with house chores because I can, and it’s not just a girl’s job.”
Some of the activities designed to build self-esteem by UNICEF India in collaboration with Dove that Jessie took part in include:
- Exploring Aadha Full comic books with students sparking conversations about confidence, appearance pressures, gender stereotypes and peer influence.
- Joining interactive role-play and performance activities that encouraged self-expression, perspective-taking and confidence-building among students.
- Meeting parents and teachers to hear how the programme is helping shape students’ aspirations and challenge traditional gender norms within their communities.
Dr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive of UNICEF UK said: “How a child sees themselves shapes everything – whether they speak up, seize opportunities or dare to dream big. Every child has the fundamental right to grow up feeling valued and heard. Investing in youth wellbeing isn’t optional; it is one of the most powerful ways to empower young people to build their own futures.””Our partnership with Dove demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared commitment to helping children reach their full potential.”
“The Dove Self-Esteem Project has helped millions of children, across countries, including India, strengthen their self-confidence and develop the skills they need to navigate adolescence.”
Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer, Dove Personal Care North America & Dove Masterbrand said: “What’s so amazing about the stories Jessie heard in India is how universal they are. We hear so many of the same things from young people in schools around the world: the pressures they feel about their appearance and the difference it can make when they’re given the tools to build their body confidence.”
“As the world’s largest provider of self-esteem education, we know the difference it can make. And hearing directly from the children is another reminder of why we need to keep going.”
This visit took place as part of Dove Day, Dove’s annual celebration aligned with International Day of the Girl, which sees thousands of employees volunteer and head back to school to help improve young people’s self-esteem and body confidence. Dove Day unites parents, caregivers, educators, and partners by delivering self-esteem workshops in schools and communities across the world.
The Dove Self-Esteem Project is the world’s largest provider of self-esteem education and through its partnership with UNICEF, it has reached more than 160 million young people in 153 countries, and more than 21 million children across eight states in India since 2022, through the support of state governments.
By educating children about body confidence and self-esteem, UNICEF UK and Dove hope to empower every young person to understand that their personality, values, and achievements should be integral to how they define their worth.
Notes to the editor
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
Photography can be downloaded here: https://unicef.resourcespace.com/?c=29652&k=ddcc8e7b5f
To find out more about Dove and UNICEF’s partnership visit https://www.unicef.org.uk/corporate-partners/dove/
To learn more about the Dove Self Esteem Project visit
Dove.com/DoveSelfEsteemProject
Media Contact:
For more information, please contact UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0208 375 6030.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube.
About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturising cream. Dove’s heritage is rooted in care – proof, not promises grew Dove from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands.
Real women have always been our inspiration, and since the beginning, Dove has been wholly committed to providing superior care to all, and to championing real representations of beauty in our advertising, communications, and campaigns. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone, and the Dove mission is to ensure a positive experience with beauty is universally accessible to all.
For 68 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. This includes the ‘Dove Real Beauty Pledge,’ and commitment to:
- Portray women as they are in real life with honesty, diversity, and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair colour, type, and style.
- Represent individuals with zero digital distortion, with all images approved by the women they feature.
- Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of body confidence education in the world with a goal to educate 250 million young people by 2030.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors, and kids for nearly two decades with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. To date, Dove has reached more than 160 million young people globally across 153 countries with DSEP, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.