This International Women’s day, Pantene Inspires Women to Stay in Sports through its Braids of Strength Campaign

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

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