Promoting self-esteem for Vietnamese youth

Training for teachers on December 8-9, 2023, for five schools in Hà Nội.

HÀ NỘI — A meaningful educational programme to boost self-esteem among young people has jointly been created by Vietnam National Institute for Educational Science (VNIES) and the Center for Education and Development (CED) in conjunction with Unilever Vietnam and Dove.

Global research shows that low confidence in physical appearance prevents young people from realising their full potential.

According to the Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report (2017), more than 80 per cent of girls avoid activities they love because they do not feel satisfied with their appearance, meaning they avoid participating in class debates, joining sports clubs, and may not even want to attend school. This is a huge problem for the students, as lacking self-confidence can have a detrimental effect on their comprehensive development. By not realising their worth, students will not be able to work to their full potential.

Dove has already implemented “Dove Self-Esteem Project” in 153 countries since 2004, aimed at promoting confidence, self-esteem and self-awareness, especially in young girls. Now, Dove has brought this project to Việt Nam in collaboration with Unilever Vietnam, VNIES and CED. The initial stage of the project will run from September 2023 to January 2024 and is tailored specifically for Vietnamese students.

During this period, the team has worked to produce a package of “Confident me” documents that can be used in schools as part of the curriculum.

As more than 55 per cent of students felt they have experienced teasing “a few times” and nearly 14 per cent of students have experienced being teased or commented on “many times”, it is imperative to combat this through the “Confident me” documents.

Participating teachers work in group during a “training of teachers” course in Khánh Hòa province.

To accomplish this, three “training of teachers (ToT)” courses have been organised to equip teachers to deliver these lessons to their students. These courses guide the teachers through the “Confident me” documents so that they are then able to feel confident in their abilities themselves to deliver the course to their own students.

Through this initiative, VNIES and CED have been able to deliver the ToT courses to 150 teachers across 15 schools in three provinces in Việt Nam. As a result, these trained teachers have now been able to support 10,000 students to engage with the “Confident me” package and build their self-esteem.

This educational programme can also be used by teachers to complement the 2018 general education programme issued by the Ministry of Education and Training. Subjects such as literature, civic education, experiential activities and career advice can all benefit from integrating knowledge from the “Confident me” documents. Organising extra-curricular events and creative competitions that incorporate the messages from “Confident me” can also be imperative to creating change for our young people.

It is hoped that, through this course and the integration of knowledge throughout their education, the students will be able to realise their own values, regardless of appearance, age or weight. Students will recognise that they can celebrate themselves, develop themselves and become the best version of themselves they can possibly be.

Director of VNIES Prof. Dr. Lê Anh Vinh spoke at the ToT training in Hà Nội, December 8-9.

At the ToT training in Hà Nội, Director of VNIES Prof. Dr. Lê Anh Vinh said: “Dove self-esteem project activities, when implemented in secondary schools, play a meaningful role in promoting confidence and improving self-esteem for students, especially female students. The project carries a meaningful message that a healthy body is a body with good mental and physical health. Self-confidence is confidence in an individual’s abilities, temperament and inner values.”

Director of Communications and External Relations – Unilever Vietnam Lê Thị Hồng Nhi, at the ToT training in Hà Nội on December 8-9, 2023.

Director of Communications and External Relations, Unilever Vietnam, Lê Thị Hồng Nhi said: “Unilever is always consistent on our journey to promote gender equality, nurture confidence and build a diverse and inclusive society. The Dove Self-Esteem Project affirms our efforts to encourage women and girls to confidently show their personal beauty, and experience freedom from negative gender stereotypes and societal pressures. Through the activities of our brands and our collaborative efforts with government, social and international organisations, we hope to inspire the young generation with positive messages about their self-esteem and intrinsic values.”

“Confident me” introduces new knowledge around self-esteem into Việt Nam’s education programme for the first time. This programme includes five lessons which help participating students improve their self-esteem and realise their own values, regardless of appearance, age or weight.

Students are free to develop themselves and become the best version of themselves. They are encouraged to celebrate themselves regardless of their appearance and are empowered to respect and celebrate the diversity around them.