In the third phase of the #WANITABESI campaign, Pantene encourages women to stay STRONG, stay BEAUTIFUL and stay in SPORTS
Kuala
Lumpur, 8 March 2019 – Did
you know that globally, girls drop out of sports, twice the rate of boys? In
Malaysia, female participation in sports is also much lower than male
participation. Data from the National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC) revealed
that in 2018, Malaysia only had a total of 1,844 female athletes as compared to
2,483 male athletes who participated in sports.
Realizing the need to help
women to unleash their strength to stay in sports, Pantene proudly presents
Braids of Strength. Braids of Strength is the third and latest instalment of
the #WANITABESI campaign which aims to champion inner strength and confidence
in women to achieve their goals. This campaign aims to give voice to women in
embracing their passion and inspiring them to stay in sports accompanied by the
perfect hair braid, which helps them to feel confident and comfortable while
playing sports. This campaign was announced in conjunction with the globally
celebrated International Women’s Day.
Keeping an active lifestyle is vital to
the success of the next generation of Malaysian women and based on the data
from the NSC, Pantene decided to dive further into the issue. Pantene embarked
on this campaign to better understand the relationship between women and sports
in the country. Here are the results from the poll:
- 52%
of respondents believe that sports make women less feminine. This indicates that
personal image is a huge barrier for women staying in sports.
- However,
80% of respondents believe that girls who play sports grow up to be stronger
and more confident women.
- Over
86% of respondents felt that women deserve an equal chance to become a professional
athlete.
- In
fact, 83% of respondents believe that women can be the ones to bring home
Malaysia’s first gold medal at the Olympics.
Through the research,
Pantene also discovered that women often feel like they could not continue to
participate in sports because they feel uncomfortable with how they look after
each strenuous activity. Their hair will be messy and sweaty; making them feel
very conscious of how others will perceive them. Pantene aims for every woman
to be strong and beautiful; and to look good with the perfect hair as they play
sports. It is as true about hair as it is in life: strong hair can handle
anything.
Anggia Pulungan, Haircare
Commercial Director of P&G Malaysia said, “At Pantene, we are rooted in the
belief that strong is beautiful. For a woman, her hair is both a personal and a
public matter; it is a big part of her confidence. Through Braids of Strength,
Pantene wants to encourage more women to embrace the #WANITABESI spirit, pursue
any sport of their choice to boost their inner strength and eliminate their
worry of self-image. By showcasing the perfect way to braid their hair, women
get the confidence boost they need to look good. Using the right shampoo and
conditioner will also help to solve the
problem of bad odour, frizz and hair fall based on scientific data.”
The team of researchers and
scientists at Pantene have developed a uniquely engineered braiding technique
to keep hair both strong and beautiful. The unique style for braiding increases
hair strength and reduces friction by immobilizing the hair strands which
prevents it from rubbing off on the clothes. It also prevents tangling and
creates interlacing points to provide blockage from sweats to be further
distributed down the tip. Women no longer have to worry about self-image and
they can continue to engage in any sporting activity, for as long and as much
as they wish as they can now have the perfect hair from using Pantene’s
superior range of shampoo and conditioner coupled with the perfect hair braid.
National sports shooter, Suryani Taibi who
was featured as part of the Braids of Strength campaign video added, “Embracing
our womanhood through sports is at times, challenging but ultimately rewarding.
I had my fair share of this experience when I was competing in the 2012 Olympics. At that time, I was 8 months pregnant. I
powered through the training and still represented my country. It was a tough
choice as I made my way into motherhood while participating in a prestigious
sporting event, but I believe, as with women everywhere, you are stronger than
you think. It is an honor to be a part of this campaign along with strong,
aspiring women of #WANITABESI so we can show both men and women that it is
possible for women to achieve great things in sports.”
In conjunction with the Braids of Strength
campaign and to encourage women to take up and stay in sports; customers who
purchase Pantene products in TESCO, GIANT, AEON and AEON Big will receive a
golden ribbon. The golden ribbon can then be presented to any Celebrity
Fitness/Fitness First outlets in Malaysia where customers can redeem a free
14-day pass to the gym. The promotion is valid until 31 March 2019.
For more information and updates, log on
to Pantene Malaysia’s official Facebook page www.facebook.com/PanteneMalaysia/. Watch the #WANITABESI manifesto videos
here:
The story of Farah Ann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOhvJe-XJ5g&t=
The story of Nur Suryani Taibi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQBqnjcE8-w&t=1s
