Venus launches new campaign to champion body positivity in sport

Razor brand Venus has launched a new campaign to help women feel more confident during exercise.

The campaign comes after a study revealed that 43% of UK women have previously avoided playing sport due to worries around what others perceive as skin imperfections.

The study found that cellulite and stretch marks were common worries, with 1 in 10 women also attributing skin conditions such as eczema, hyperpigmentation or rosacea as causes for consciousness.

Venus also emphasised that 25% of women have given up sport completely due to anxiety around their appearance.

The report underpins a new Move Your Skin campaign from Venus, which launches ahead of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. As a national partner, Venus aims to tackle 'skinconsciousness’ across the country by normalising what real skin in the sport looks like.

The brand will work with women on and off the pitch to help others feel more confident. This includes Venus brand ambassadors Em Clarkson and Alex Light, who will share their own personal stories.

Venus is also extending its existing work with Football Beyond Borders’ Girls Programme to develop a new in-school module. Using the findings of the study, the initiative aims to to open up conversations with girls and non-binary young people about their relationships with their bodies.

Olivia Hughes, Senior Communications Manager at Venus, said: “We’ve come a long way in celebrating women’s bodies for what they can do, not how they look, but there’s sadly still a lingering self-consciousness in all manner of perceived imperfections in skin when it comes to sport.

“Through ‘Move Your Skin’ we want to empower more women and girls to play confidently in their skin and celebrate their bodies for what they can achieve - rolls, bumps, scars, hairs, and all.”