Venus are naming 2015 the year of &Powerment, as they are encouraging women to embrace their ‘&’ and step out from behind the label.
Their YouTube clip explains it all…
http://youtu.be/VFEaj2rNknU
They’ve carried out some studies that show that stereotyping starts as young as 10 years old, and can limit potential and lead to a lack of confidence. And apparently us British women are the most likely worldwide to be affected by stereotypes.
Interesting. I wrote a post a few weeks ago, ‘So Who Are You?‘ where I thought about what defines me, and all that I can still be. This campaign puts me in mind of that, as I think our biggest ‘labellers’ are ourselves. I think we limit ourselves, tell ourselves we are this and aren’t that, yet we’re the ones living the life and know we’re so much more. Yes, others compound the problem, but I think breaking free of them has to start with us, we must tell ourselves that ‘we are more’.
I want my children to grow up knowing that they are more, more than the labels applied to them, more than the ones that they impose upon themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think having a label is always a bad or derogatory thing. If they end up being ‘the clever one’, ‘the friendly one’, ‘the creative one’ and so on, well, that’s just lovely. As long as they know about the ‘and’. Yes, be that person, but be so much more, and always remember it. No one talent, moment, skill or physical feature can define a person, and I want them to recognise and understand this. They can be so many things, so I’d want them to go beyond the label ‘and’ offer something else. I do hope that I can help them to do this as they grow up.
As a part of this campaign, I do have 2 Venus Satin Care gift sets to give-away to 2 of my readers, too. The set comprises of a Venus razor with a spare blade and shaving gel, all in a little carry case. To be in with a chance of winning one of them, please use the rafflecopter below and answer the question. Give-away is open to UK entrants only, closes at midnight 24th March 2015.
What do you think? Have you ever felt ‘labelled’?
Disclosure: Written in collaboration with Venus
No, I don’t think I’ve ever felt labelled
I think it is a great campaign and, yes, I did feel I was labelled as a child.
Yeah but more so when i was at school
Yes as single mum I feel labelled all the time
this is an interesting campaign, i have never felt labelled before
yes, at school was labelled as the quiet one so up for being bullied
This campaign is very much worthwhile,if it makes a difference, what wonderful place the world would be.No more feelings of self loathing or feeling that you have no value in life,everyone has a value and can contribute so much,you just have to make them believe.xx
I think there’s always some point in a person’s life when they feel labelled x
Yes more so at school than nowadays but it does still happen!
Yes, because I am overweight. I do not have health problems and do not take up time at the doctors BUT
apparently overweight people all have diabetes and take up all NHS resources – HOW UNTRUE
Great campaign. Felt labelled when younger
No never
Definitely when I was much younger. Not at all now.
I have always felt labelled but as I get older I am learning not to care 🙂
I dont really feel labelled!
No never felt labelled
i felt very labelled as a child and its a great campaign
No I have never felt labelled.
I have felt labeled in a negative way through life but this gave me the determination to be the best I could be
I fully support the campaign as being labelled can be very damaging. I don’t feel labelled now, but did when I was a teenager.
Yes but I have learnt not to let it bother me
we all get labelled -you just have to rise above it and be individual
great campaign i feel labeled but as someone pointed out the older i get the less i care xx
All the time! I think it’s especially hard now for teenage girls…I wouldn’t want to be that age again for anything
The video is very inspirational but I don’t feel I’ve ever been labelled x
Not so much now but yes in high school x
no i haven’t
I dont think I have ever let myself feel labelled 🙂
I was a ‘weird kid’ at school, but I was okay with that, as I knew it had the most illogical source – for some reason, my schoolmates thought reading was the most bizarre hobby a child could have. Thankfully, there’s been a resurgence in young people reading in recent years – hopefully nobody has to grow up with the bizarre and senseless stigma of being ‘weird’ for loving books any more!
Yes, I had my daughter when I was 19 and felt like I was treated as a silly gymslip mum by health professionals and other mothers.
I think its a fab campaign,
I don’t think I’ve ever felt labelled
I dont feel that i’ve ever been labelled
Absolutely yes! Society labels all of us on class, Education, how we dress, the weaker sex so on and so on
I feel labelled a lot – and even the labels I embrace can sometimes feel very restrictive. (At work especially; I’m often the token young person, young woman, or simply woman, and I find that I tend to be very aware that there seems to be an expectation of what that means you should comment on – education, youth issues, childcare, etc…)
I’m always labeled, I label myself, not always a bad thing.
Yes as disabled and i hate it i am full of capabilities just have to do things a bit differently
You’re labelled for everything these days.. it’s awful. Yes, I’ve felt labelled a lot too. Great campaign though.
fabby
yes as a child
Only during my school days
No I have never felt labelled
yes I was definitely.
Yes I have felt labelled bu mainly when I was very young. Great campaign – makes people think.
Love the campaign! …Every now and then one of these brands really does get something together that resonates with a generation.
AND is one of the most important words in open, acceptance communication. It’s the word that keeps the conversation alive and allows you to express your own opinion without quenching someone else’s. I’d never thought about applying it to the labels I’ve put; or accepted from others on myself!
Great post Jocelyn
Thanks, Steph, it’s a great one to get behind.
yes i felt labelled being a teen mum
yes I think we all do x
No I’ve never felt labelled
i get labelled all the time !
I am not aware of being labelled, probably because I am too busy looking after the kids!!!!!!!
Yes all the time as a parent.
I think we all get labelled at some point. I’m usually known as the bossy one!
I get labelled I think everyone does!
Not as far as I can recall
just labelled as being a shorty 🙁
Great campaign to help children
Yes at school because I was not a happy child so was bullied & as an adult as I have been widowed twice. But the worst was the discrimination I faced at my last job as I was part time (6 hours a day as opposed to 7 hours!).
Not that I know of, its a great campaign though 🙂
It is a good campaign and, yes, I felt I was labelled as a child.
I felt labelled when I was younger as I was a mum at 17, but as I grew older I stopped caring.
Its a great campaign. I have felt labelled many times. Firstly as a teenage mum, then as a single mum on benefits. Plus i have mental health problems and am overweight so that can make people look at me differently sometimes and make assumptions.
As someone who dresses ‘alternatively’ yes, I do often feel labelled. Any campaign to open minds is good in my opinion.
think its a great campaign to look past ‘labels’ and see people as people and for who they are without any labels! i was a young mum (19 when my son was born) so feel i was labelled then about it all – silly little girl and teen parent and everything that comes with it – but ive grown up with my son and wouldnt change him for anything x
Yes being single mum, I feel labelled quite a bit!
yes when i was a hippy x
I’d never felt that I have
yes, lol being a 43 year old tattooed gothic woman, all the time!
i would imagine i did, im on the larger side and people presume that im a jobless slob, what they dont realise is im a full tiem team leader thqat likes her food lol.
I like campaign, and I felt like this when I was child
yes at school
I’ve always felt labelled as I’ve always been over weight – people treat you as though you are stupid!
Great campaign – bullied at school so yes I felt labelled.
Oh yeah – I was the goth!
have never really thought about this before, I don’t feel labeled, but maybe i am?
Nice idea for a campaign, sure everyone is labelled at some point even if not to their knowledge
It’s a fantastic idea, I’ve often been labelled and it’s not always a good thing.
Only really labelled at school – as a freaky one (cos I had multicoloured hair)
Yes! Great campaign
I really like the campaign and I feel like a lot of women do get labelled and made to feel as though they have to comply with certain female ideals
YES!!! Labelled as blonde and as an airhead.
It is very easy to label!
Great campaign great awareness raising
What a great campaign, labelled more as a child than an adult
not felt labelled
The campaign gives such a positive message
No, I don’t think I’ve ever felt labelled
The campaign is good. I was labelled as a “quiet one” at school. I was never in the popular group.
Wonderful campaign for children
The campaign and products are fantastic. No I do not feel I have ever been labelled.
I think everybody gets labelled by society quite early in life. It’s up to the individual to rise above it.
Great campaign..been labelled with negative connotations all life
I have always felt like I’ve been labelled, so I think its a great campaign
a great campaign ive never felt labelled
Yes I have felt labelled because I am a vegetarian and people think that just because we choose not to eat meat or fish we are faddy with food which just is not true!
Of course but it’s never bothered me, I’ve never cared what people think, even as a teenager I just did my own thing. I’m not good with authority and everything’s on my terms, I’m a difficult person to live with, ask my husband! 🙂
I guess I was as a child and teenager, I have a disability, some people may give me a label for that, some people like to label people. Good job I’m not interested in ‘some people’.
No never felt labelled.
Yes I was labelled when I was at school, but after overcoming that experience it doesn’t bother me what other people think now
I think it’s a great campaign. Yes I felt labelled when I was a (young) single parent x
No, I’ve never felt labelled.
I don’t really think I’ve ever been labelled. Like the campaign!
Only labelled by myself
I think we all do at some point while growing up.
the campaign definately got me thinking, i have never really felt labeleed
yep when i was a teen but as a adult i don’t feel labeled
I felt labelled a lot when I was younger it’s so damaging and we are all so multi faceted
I think it’s a great campaign, yeah i have been labelled and im so scared about my children been labelled and if they can be strong enough to ignore it and be themselves
I think its great, yes I have been labelled all my life, labels need to stop, people should be people!
yes at school and ever since.depends how it affects you and how bad.it can damage your self confidence for the rest of your life and outlook too
Labelled all my life and still am.
I think Labelled may not be the right word but ive always been known as “fat” or “large” and have tried to avoid my boys having the same problems