Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Gibbs and Women’s Commission Executive Director Davis Launch New York City Girls’ Self-esteem Project

October 1, 2013

New York City Becomes First Major City in Nation With Initiative Helping Girls Believe Value Comes from Who They Are, Not What they Look Like

Multi-Agency Project Includes Public Education Campaign, Social Media Engagement and Non-Profit Partnerships

High-Resolution Images of the Campaign Available Here; Video Available Here

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Health and Services Linda I. Gibbs and Executive Director for the Women’s Commission Andrea Shapiro Davis today launched the New York City Girls Project, a multi-faceted girls’ self-esteem initiative. Recognizing girls as young as six and seven years old are struggling with body image and self-esteem, New York City is the first major city in the nation to tackle the issue by helping girls believe their value comes from their character, skills and attributes – not appearance. The project includes an empowering public education campaign geared toward girls ages 7 to12 appearing on buses, subways and phone kiosks and an accompanying 30 second video. The City’s Department of Youth and Community Development will also be piloting self-esteem programming at more than 75 after-school programs and half a dozen schools. Additionally, the Parks Department will be targeting programming at girls, including free fitness program classes in all five boroughs, especially for girls ages 8 to 13 years old, along with all- girl teams in the City’s flag Football League. The New York City Girls Project is a collaboration among the Human Resources Administration, the Center for Economic Opportunity, the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues, the Administration for Children’s Services, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Youth and Community Development. Samantha Levine has been appointed Director of the New York City Girls’ Self-Esteem Project.

“New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the nation with strong, successful women in every area of leadership,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Yet girls are struggling with body image issues at younger and younger ages, a struggle that has negative public health consequences: including eating disorders, bullying, alcohol abuse, early onset of sexual activity and obesity. New York City is going to take a leadership role in sending a message about what really should matter – their skills, their beliefs and who they are and who they are going to be, not what they look like.”

“We know that girls – and often women’s – sense of self-worth and esteem is inextricably linked to self-image,” said Deputy Mayor Gibbs. “And every day girls are confronted by unrealistic, often photoshopped images that they can’t possibly emulate. This intervention sends an important message that girls are valued for who they are and what they do.”

“I am an accomplished and successful woman,” said Women’s Commission Executive Director Andrea Shapiro Davis. “And yet, for much of my life I was incredibly insecure, to a large extent because I was constantly comparing how I looked to the images I saw in the media. Every woman has been touched by this issue at some point in their lives. This is an incredibly important initiative that goes to the heart of who we are as a society.”

“Low self-esteem has been linked to teen pregnancy, making it even more challenging for girls growing up in poverty to reach self-sufficiency. The Girls Project is important because it reminds girls that substance and character are more important than appearance,” said Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar. “Along with HRA’s commitment to ensuring teen pregnancy rates continue to decrease, we also promote personal responsibility among New Yorkers in need.”

“We are proud to support the ‘I'm a Girl’ project, which makes an important statement as part of the City’s efforts toward helping strong, smart young women become tomorrow’s leaders,” said Center for Economic Opportunity Executive Director Kristin Morse.

“Empowering our girls to embrace their unique strengths, make positive choices, respect themselves and go after their dreams is part of DYCD’s core mission,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav. “We are delighted to be a partner in this important initiative that will develop the confidence and leadership skills of our young people. I look forward to seeing the curriculum in action in our afterschool programs across the City.”

“We are proud and excited to participate in this pioneering multi-agency initiative,” said Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Ronald E. Richter. “This is a valuable project for young girls in foster care, as well as girls in our juvenile justice system, where self-esteem and self-confidence issues can be prevalent.”

“Every time I’ve read about a woman or teen who died trying to lose five pounds on diet pills, or after botched liposuction I wished there was a way to turn back time and tell her she was worth so much more than that,” said Director of the New York City Girls Project Samantha Levine. “Our goal is to help girls believe that they are valued for so much more than their appearance, and that they don't need to struggle to meet someone else’s idea of beauty.”

“I thought it was important for my daughter to be a part of this campaign to show her that there are other girls that are smart and confident too,” said Twanna Cameron, whose daughter appears in the campaign. “She thought it was important to show other girls that they are beautiful just the way they are.”

“We are thrilled to use the resources of our one-of-a-kind collection and our media literacy expertise to join the city in addressing this important issue,” said Paley Center President and CEO Pat Mitchell. “At the Paley Center, we recognize media’s profound power to shape how we see others, and ourselves. With these new classes and the video history, we can help young girls – and boys – think more deeply about how girls are reflected in media, and challenge the idealized or stereotypical images that have a negative effect both on girls’ elf-esteem and the ability of young people to have a nuanced understanding of gender.”

“SPARK Movement was thrilled to partner with the Mayor’s Office to declare October 11, 2012 the New York City Day of the Girl and in the year since, we have been inspired to see the city continue with their commitment to improving the lives and well-being of our girls,” said Executive Director of SPARK Movement Dana Edell. “At SPARK, we are committed to challenging dangerous and sexualized images of girls in the media and we are so happy to see New York City celebrate girls' strength, creativity, intellect, compassion, courage and humor – along with all the diverse ways they are beautiful just the way they are. The inspiring posters and video show our girls – and all of New York City’s citizens – that what their bodies do and say is so much more important than what they look like. Samantha Levine and her team working on the New York City Girls Project are setting a national example of how a city can use its resources to educate and raise awareness about our need to support our girls.”

“You don’t have to be a young girl in today’s society to be aware of the myriad pressures girls face, from their peers, family, culture and media,” said Catherine Steiner-Adair Ed.D. author of Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program to Advance Girl Power, Health, And Leadership.“As the author of a program shown to increase girls’ body image, self-esteem and overall leadership, I thank the City of New York for taking a leadership role and sending a powerful message to girls that their value lies in being who they are.”

About New York City Girls Project

Even as women have made enormous strides in education, politics and the workplace, young girls report struggling with body image and self-esteem at younger and younger ages and stories abound about bullying around appearance and sexual behavior.

Girls’ dissatisfaction manifests around body image, particularly weight, at an alarmingly young age: More than 80 percent of 10 year old girls are afraid of being fat and, by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body, and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 to 15 years old.

The initiative aims to tackle the issue of girls’ self-esteem and body image by helping girls believe their value comes from their character, skills and attributes – while challenging an unhealthy idea of beauty.

About the Public Education Campaign

Working closely with girls organizations and the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development, the City developed test messages and then focus grouped messages and design concepts among girls 7 to 12 years old. The final campaign will run for four weeks on buses and phone kiosks and eight weeks on subways. It features a diverse group of 15 girls performing activities like reading, playing sports and drawing with the words: “I’m a girl. I’m smart, a leader, adventurous, friendly, funny. I’m beautiful the way I am.”

The campaign invites girls to share what makes them beautiful the way they are with #ImAGirl. Creative by Dennis Ahlgrim, President and Creative Director of Ahlgrim Design Group and photography by Richard Brathwaite.

The Paley Media Center – SPARK Movement Collaboration

As part of this initiative, in partnership with the City and SPARK Movement, The Paley Center for Media has developed two new class offerings for its K-12 education program. “Girls, Body Image, and the Media” helps students look critically at television programs targeting girls that send messages, both positive and negative, about body image and ideas of beauty. “A Brief History of Girls on Television” traces the evolution of the representation of girls on television, from the 1950s to the present. As with all Paley Center curricula, the classes are offered on-site for New York City-area school groups.

Paley Center educators have assembled a decade-by-decade visual history of the changing portrayal of girls on television –unique resource created by this collaboration. Clips from this compilation will be utilized in the classes as a catalyst for discussion and will be made available at paleycenter.org.

New York City Parks Department Programs

Physical activity has been shown to improve self-image and girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. The Parks Department is therefore targeting fitness programs to girls including:

Shape Up NYC, Parks’ citywide, free fitness program, will offer a class in all five boroughs for girls ages 8 to 13 beginning in October.

The NYC Parks Flag Football League, free for kids ages 8 to 17, has 14 and under all-girls teams in Manhattan. Girls with any level of experience are welcome to join.

The NYC Parks Street Hockey Program, a partnership of NYC Parks and the New York Rangers, starts in the winter and welcomes girls ages 5 to 15.

Additionally, Parks Recreation Center membership is free for youth 17 and under. For young girls, membership provides access to indoor pools, sports clinics, educational programs, fitness classes and more at 35 Recreation Centers across the five boroughs. For more information on all programs, visit nyc.gov.

The New York City Girls Project is supported by the Human Resources Administration, Center for Economic Opportunity, Administration for Children’s Services and the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues with additional resources and support from the Department of Education, the Department of Youth and Community Development and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. For more information, visit nyc.gov and search “I’m a Girl.”

Statements of Support

STATEMENT OF PAM MALDONADO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GIRLS, INC OF NEW YORK CITY

“This campaign is as vital to the well-being of girls in this city as chicken soup and penicillin! Learning to value themselves is the key to healthy successful futures for girls in New York City.”

STATEMENT OF JOAN MALIN, PRESIDENT & CEO, PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NEW YORK CITY

“We applaud this campaign because it promotes positive body image and self-esteem. Because girls have diverse appearances and abilities, it is important to promote self-awareness and self-appreciation to help girls thrive and fulfill their potential. Often girls measure themselves against very narrow definitions of beauty primarily portrayed through the media. Moreover, many girls are subject to societal messages that place a higher value on their looks than their abilities and attributes. At PPNYC we encourage positive body image and self-esteem because we know these assets contribute to healthy sexuality and healthy decision-making.”

STATEMENT OF REBECCA PUHL, PhD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RUDD CENTER FOR FOOD POLICY & OBESITY, YALE UNIVERSITY

“In today's society, girls are very vulnerable to experiencing poor body image, low self-esteem, and weight-based teasing. These experiences have a negative impact on their emotional and physical health, but are difficult for girls to combat, especially in light of numerous, harmful messages in the mass media targeting young women that reinforce unhealthy ideals of thinness and equate women's value with their appearance. The New York City Girls Project is an important step to help change this, and provides girls with much-needed positive messages that promote self-esteem and healthy body image, and communicates to girls the value of their character and abilities rather than their appearance or what size of pants they wear. This initiative can play an important role in fostering strength and resilience in girls to stand up to negative media messages and societal ideals that are so pervasive in our environment.”

STATEMENT OF CHRISTOPHER OCHNER, MD, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATION, MOUNT SINAI ADOLESCENT HEALTH CENTER

“Poor body image is one of the leading contributing factors to both eating disorders and obesity, in addition to having negative emotional and social consequences. The ‘I’m Beautiful the Way I Am’ campaign developed in Mayor Bloomberg’s office takes an aggressive step toward alleviating this issue and improving the health of New York City girls.”

STATEMENT OF DIANNE NEUMARK-SZTAINER,PHD, MPH, RD, PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

“Girls today receive so much information about what they should like and who they should be – and with damaging results: increased dieting, eating disorders and obesity at younger and younger ages. New York City’s campaign has potential to change the game by surrounding girls with positive reflections of themselves and their peers and giving them kudos for who they actually are.”

STATEMENT OF DEB TOLMAN, PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND PSYCHOLOGY AT THE HUNTER COLLEGE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND AUTHOR OF DILEMMAS OF DESIRE: TEENAGE GIRLS TALK ABOUT SEXUALITY

“All around them, from billboards to movies to magazines, girls are confronted with constant, insistent and unforgiving images that how they look is their most important quality: look sexy and be that alluring object of someone else's desire. They are sold the relentless message that they should work hard to meet a narrow and impossible definition of beauty is really what matters and the drumbeat of what products they need to buy to try. Girls are not told to be hungry: for food, for physical and emotional connection to others, for knowing and becoming the girls and the women they can imagine and want to be. This campaign sends an empowering message in no uncertain terms: girls – and everyone who knows them – can and should know and be themselves in all of their diversity as human beings by celebrating girls for who they are and valuing the many qualities that make them beautiful – to themselves and everyone in their lives.”

STATEMENT OF LYN PENTECOST, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOWER EASTSIDE GIRLS CLUB

“Thank you New York City for investing in one of our greatest assets! This is such a huge statement for all girls and women in NYC. The New York City Girl Project and curriculum will go a long way in creating a new future for girls in every community. The Lower Eastside Girls Club is thrilled with this message: that our city values and respects each and every girl and young woman.”

STATEMENT OF ROSA M. GIL, DSW, PRESIDENT AND CEO COMUNILIFE, INC.

“Empowering girls to believe in themselves and their abilities is vital to their growing into mature and successful young women. At Comunilife’s Life is Precious™ program we see firsthand the positive changes that can occur when Latina teens are given the tools to improve their self-esteem and thrive academically. Comunilife is happy to support New York City’s Girl Campaign.”

STATEMENT OF CLAIRE MYSKO, PROUD2BME, A PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION

“Disordered eating and poor body image are a growing threat to girls' health. We are proud to support the New York City Girls' Project with its powerful message that when we build girls' confidence, we inspire leaders who aren't held back by the idea that they need to change what they look like before they can start changing the world.”

STATEMENT OF CONSTANCE QUINN DSW LCSW-R, SITE DIRECTOR, THE RENFREW CENTER OF NEW YORK

“The ‘I’m a Girl’ Campaign is such a powerful endorsement of all the positive messages we should be sending our young girls so they can become empowered young women. We want to create a culture of young women who are smart, curious, brave, healthy, loving and strong. It does not get any better than that!”

STATEMENT OF ANDREA GITTER, CSW, WOMEN’S THERAPY CENTRE INSTITUTE AND THE ENDANGERED BODIES PROJECT

“The Women's Therapy Centre Institute thanks NYC's Girls Project for understanding that visual media affects self-esteem and mental health – and for doing something about it!”

STATEMENT OF JANE HIRSCHMANN AND CAROL MUNTER, AUTHORS OF WHEN WOMEN STOP HATING THEIR BODIES AND OVERCOMING OVEREATING

“You are beautiful exactly as you are! What a concept! For many years, we have asked girls and women across the country, ‘What do you think would happen if all the girls and women in the world stopped hating their bodies?’ New York City girls are about to find out! The ‘New York City Girls Project’ aims to release and re-focus all that time and energy we spend on dieting and body obsessions. Watch out world! HERE WE COME!”

STATEMENT OF SIMONE MAREAN, GIRLS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“The Girls Leadership Institute is proud to be a part of Mayor Bloomberg's I'm A Girl campaign. The increased role of the media on girls’ lives makes it harder than ever for girls to feel confident, connected, and able to be resilient in the face of challenge. An educational initiative like this has never been more critical for the girls of New York City.”

STATEMENT OF BOB MUNSCH, AUTHOR OF THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS

“A Wonderful Program!”

STATEMENT OF BARBARA JOOSSE, AUTHOR OF LOVEABYE DRAGON

“Girls are Every Body. We’re all the flavors in a candy box – shy, bold, silly, brave, timid, every size, every color. Celebrate your flavor!!”