- In a powerful display of unity, Team GB Athletes Emily Campbell and Becky Downie have joined forces with England and Arsenal defender and long standing Venus ambassador, Lotte Wubben-Moy, to confront the barriers preventing women and girls participating in sport
- Partnering with Venus as the sun sets on the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the trio unveileda thought-provoking art exhibit at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, sending a clear message that sport should be accessible to all and the legacy from sporting tournaments – which all three athletes have first-hand experience of – should be felt by all women and girls
- The installation, which opened yesterday on the 11th September 2024 featured real words, slurs and the personal skin stories experienced by athletes and women and girls from around the country
- The action is the latest instalment of Venus’ Move Your Skin campaign, now in its third year, which sets out to help normalise seeing real skin in sport. Entitled Move Your Skin: Re-write the Rules, Venus is setting out to build on its work in this space and trigger a conversation that inspires the next generation of girls at all levels of sport
As the Official Razor of the Olympic & Paralympic Games 2024, Venus recognises the important role major sporting tournaments play in encouraging sport participation, with 38% of women believing the most important impact of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on women in sport is leaving a legacy that gets more women and girls to take part. However, action is needed to address some of the fundamental barriers to participation to make this a reality. Yesterday, Venus announced the next stage of its Move Your Skin campaign which takes aim at skin consciousness, as according to Venus research, over a third of women (38%) do not want to participate in sport because they worry about the way their skin looks.
Partnering with Team GB athletes Becky Downie (artistic gymnastics) and Emily Campbell (weightlifting), alongside long-standing ambassador, England and Arsenal defender, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Venus presents Move Your Skin: Re-write The Rules. This powerful installation, which opened on the 11th September at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, confronts the negative slurs and unwritten rules that disproportionately impact women in sport, often leading to them dropping out altogether.
Move your Skin: Re-write The Rules serves as a powerful act of defiance against the societal pressures impacting women in sport. The exhibit delves into the experiences of Venus ambassadors, who have all competed at the highest level, showcasing their personal battles with skin-consciousness, derogatory commentary and trolling. It celebrates their achievements and the barriers they’ve overcome, aiming to inspire the next generation to embrace real bodies in sport – rolls, scars, bumps, cuts, hairs, and all.
Beyond the ambassadors’ stories, the exhibit weaves in crowd-sourced experiences from UK women, creatively integrated into the fabric of an imagined sporting arena and equipment. These real-world perspectives are amplified by a newly commissioned Venus survey, revealing that 65% of UK women believe female athletes face disproportionate scrutiny regarding their bodies. However, the survey also highlights hope for positive change, with 38% believing the Olympics can be a catalyst for progress.
Venus’s commitment to empowering women in sport extends beyond the exhibit. Since 2022, the brand has partnered with Football Beyond Borders to develop “Validate It!”, a curriculum-based module supported by ambassador Wubben-Moy, exploring body image and confidence. This program has already reached over 400 girls across London and Manchester, sparking conversations about skin-consciousness and providing tools to overcome barriers to participation.
Yesterday, London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park became a hub of empowerment as Move Your Skin: Re-write The Rules opened its doors to the media and public. Venus ambassadors Lotte Wubben-Moy, Becky Downie, and Emily Campbell led training sessions and meet-and-greets, offering visitors a chance to connect with these inspiring athletes and receive personal mentorship. A panel discussion, moderated by broadcaster, writer, and host Flo Lloyd-Hughes, explored the barriers women face in sport, the impact of skin consciousness, and the legacy of major tournaments. The panel featured the Venus ambassadors Lotte Wubben-Moy, Becky Downie, and Emily Campbell, alongside Debra Nelson, a spokesperson from Football Beyond Borders.
Commenting on the exhibit launch, Venus ambassador and England Lioness Lotte Wubben-Moy said: “Football is something that allows me to express myself, so to be part of a movement that delivers the powerful message that sport can boost confidence, create friendships and break down body image barriers, is amazing. Like all women in the public eye, I’ve struggled with insecurities about how I look, but playing sport and being part of a team boosts your confidence and helps you find who you are underneath, and that’s something that all girls deserve to find. We’ve seen the impact of consecutive years of major women’s football tournaments to inspire more girls to play, the possibility of achieving this for other sports after this year’s summer of sport, is terrific.”
Venus ambassador and Team GB athlete Emily Campbell adds: “Girls like me are few and far between in sport because they haven’t had representation. This is why campaigns like Venus’ #MoveYourSkin and this summer’s installation is so important. I represent the girls who think that sport isn’t for them to feel empowered and give them the freedom to move their skin and bodies freely. We are all working together to help girls realise their true potential and create a future legacy.”
Venus ambassador and Team GB athlete Becky Downie also comments: “It means a lot to me to be part of something that’s fighting back against all the negativity and showing that sports are for every single girl – no matter her size, shape, or what her skin looks like. My sister and I, we’ve been through it. People have said a lot about our bodies, and it’s been tough. But having this platform to push back against that? That’s huge.
After the joys at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer, this is how we keep the conversation going about women in sport. It’s about making sure those voices are heard loud and clear so that things really do change for the better. I hope this shows the next generation of girls that they belong in sports, no matter what level they’re at.”
Olivia Hughes, Communications Director for Venus comments: “We believe that skin-consciousness and the negative opinions of others should never stop women and girls from playing sport and moving their bodies. We’re delighted to have such an inspiring and empowering group of female sports ambassadors with Lotte, Becky and Emily, alongside the support of real women as we launch this new and exciting installation for Venus’ Move Your Skin campaign following an incredible summer of sport. This campaign aims to help triumph over the barriers of skin-consciousness and encourage women and girls to be the next generation of athletes and sports lovers.”
For more information, please visit Venus at GilletteVenus.co.uk and on Instagram.