"Our young women are falling short — failing to realise how extraordinary they are," says the website for an organisation called the Movemeant Foundation. The San Francisco-based foundation works to boost the self-confidence of women and girls who may have negative body images and a low physical, emotional and psychological state. Movemeant offers "body-positive, self-confidence building tools, resources and experiences: all with a focus on movement and how important it is for us to move".
Their latest campaign, #BellyJelly, aims to remove the stigma of having a flabby or scared stomachs by encouraging women to fight the stereotype of what makes an ideal gym body by removing their shirts and training in their sports bras — washboard abs be damned! It is in line with the move in the fashion industry to bring back the crop top and the #RockTheCrop hashtag was to remind everyone that crop tops aren't only reserved for women with specific body types. Instead, that they are for everyone.
In the video for the campaign, women of all sizes are seen participating in different sporting codes and types of training — all with their tops off and their stomachs exposed. The team behind the campaign believes in promoting inner strength over outer beauty and hope to "start a revolution where we feel powerful in the skin we're in," Movemeant CEO and founder Jenny Gaither told website, POPSUGAR. Adding that she hopes the video empowers "young girls [to] feel bulletproof in their bodies".
In a statement on the Movemeant website, Gaither says that "there has never been a better time to shift the dialogue that women are having around their bodies. Embracing our 'belly jelly' and celebrating that women are physically strong despite a little jiggle, is a powerful statement and, one we hope will inspire women and girls across the country."
There has been a new focus on promoting body positivity this year. From the anti-thigh gap movement to post pictures of thighs that touch in a campaign called "Don't Mind The Gap", to fuller figured models making it on to the runways at New York Fashion Week. Even plus-size model Ashley Graham recently received the first Barbie with thighs that touch, something she is incredibly excited about. It appears that more young women are accepting diversity in perceptions of beauty and are changing beauty standards for the better.