My Story Matters: our new study reveals shared experience is the key to women's resilience

• Majority of women (68%) find strength in hearing every day, relatable stories from other women and 72% find comfort in being able to share their experiences
• Most women (92%) globally have felt increased pressure over the pandemic
• The pandemic has also led to increased feelings of doubt for over half (57%) of women as they have taken on home schooling, job and financial stresses, without being able to share their experiences
• We team up with model Ellie Goldstein and dancer Oti Mabuse to launch a global story and image gallery to connect women around the world, celebrate achievements and inspire others to fulfil their potential

Our new research reveals that women find strength from hearing every day, relatable stories and sharing experiences with others. Nearly a third say these connections help them overcome challenges (32%) and for over a third (36%) it decreases feelings of anxiety or reduces self-doubt.

With fears that the coronavirus pandemic has set the fight for gender equality back decades, and the new research highlighting that 41% of women have lost confidence as a result of lockdown restrictions, we are launching a campaign to celebrate the achievements of women around the world.

Commissioned as part of the My Story Matters campaign, the new research surveyed 8,000 women globally from countries including UK, Poland, Italy, South Africa and the Philippines. It found that most women (92%), have felt increased pressure during the pandemic due to being unable to see loved ones in person (49%), financial stresses (47%), job security (29%) and home schooling (24%). Alongside these pressures, half of women (52%) admit they have felt less connected, resulting in feelings of anxiety (44%), isolation (42%) lack of motivation (34%) and self-doubt (20%).

Despite over half (57%) turning to online platforms to feel connected with their peers, over a quarter (28%) of women admit they feel judged when sharing their own struggles on social media sites, 27% don’t believe anyone would be interested to hear their story and 40% don’t like to talk about themselves.

To address these concerns, we have partnered with model, Ellie Goldstein and professional dancer, Oti Mabuse, to launch a global gallery for women to share their different stories and connect with other women around the world. The My Story Matters Gallery has launched ahead of International Women’s Day, and celebrates stories of strength, grit and determination, from extraordinary triumphs to everyday wins, with Ellie and Oti among the first to share their experiences on the platform.

The gallery already features a host of stories reflecting the different experiences of women and girls across the world. Stories range from juggling motherhood and a career, to breast cancer survivors and domestic violence victims.

Model, Ellie Goldstein, commented: “I’m a very sociable person, so since the pandemic I’ve found it really hard not seeing my friends, but my tip to help me relieve stress is to dance; it makes me feel really happy. Everyone has their own story to tell in life and Avon’s gallery offers a safe place for women to post their inspiration stories and read about others experiences too. I am proud of the barriers I have broken down throughout my career and in sharing my story, I believe I can give other women hopes of achieving what they want in life. Never give up following your dreams.” Read Ellie’s story on our gallery here.

Oti Mabuse, professional dancer and TV personality, commented: “A year on from the start of the pandemic it’s devastating to see that this crisis has had a negative impact globally on the confidence of women. Lockdown has been tough, I really miss my family in South Africa and sometimes it’s hard to keep motivated, but during this time when we cannot connect physically with our loved ones, sharing our stories with other women has never been more important - whether that’s our small every day triumphs or relaying our struggles. It’s crucial in helping us feel like we are not alone, letting us know that it’s OK to struggle and giving us the strength to overcome other challenges that may be thrown our way.” Read Oti’s story on our gallery here.

Angela Cretu, Avon CEO, said: “In a world where our voices aren’t equal, in our everyday life we gather strength from people like us; those that have shared experiences. It helps gives us strength when we hear of another woman struggling with the same things we are.

“Our mission is to help women overcome the barriers and challenges they face, becoming the most they can be, so this International Women’s Day we’re reclaiming our connections, we’re finding new and judgement free ways to share stories, listen to others and find inspiration in experience. Our My Story Matters Gallery will give women a place to speak up, share their stories and celebrate their achievements. It will collate authentic stories from around the world, showing that women are strong, courageous, and powerful and that they should never be underestimated. The more stories we can gather and the more positive role models we can commend, the more impact we will have. To celebrate every story shared, the Avon Foundation will also donate $1 to charities that support women to help create a better world for women, which is a better world for all.”

To share your story on the My Story Matters Gallery, visit www.watchmenow.avon.com.

¹Research commissioned by Avon and conducted by Opinium with 8,010 women (18+) in UK, Italy, Russia, Romania, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey and Poland between 23^rd – 30^th December 2020.