At puberty, girls’ confidence plummets. The most recent Always Confidence & Puberty Survey reveals that half of girls feel paralyzed by the fear of failure during puberty. This fear is so intense that many girls opt out of important growth opportunities during this time, like taking on challenges and trying new things. Always, a leader in global feminine care, is on a mission to stop this drop in confidence by changing how girls perceive setbacks and encouraging them to embrace failure as part of the learning and growth process.

According to the survey, 80% of girls report that the pressure to please others and be perfect lead them to fear any misstep, and 75% agree that social media is a key contributor in this feeling. But experience, and now research, shows that persevering through a failure is actually key to learning and building new skills. Always wants to encourage all girls to embrace failing when it happens and use it as a tool to build their confidence, empowering them to keep growing and Keep Going #LikeAGirl.

To help shed light on the issue and to inspire girls to keep going, Always partnered with acclaimed director Lucy Luscombe to show how girls feel about failure, especially during puberty. The new #LikeAGirl video brings a fresh approach to the campaign, following a group of girls through a day in their lives at school. From school projects, to drama rehearsals, chess matches and more, the girls are seen in real-life situations that capture how intense the fear of not measuring up can be. See the video here: https://youtu.be/P_MhsbRiFyI.

“I am such a fan of the Always #LikeAGirl campaign, so I am thrilled to be part of this important movement,” says Luscombe. “I remember so many times when I felt afraid to fall short and the lengths I’d go to avoid it, but I was so inspired by the girls we met during filming. It is my goal that this video helps us all reframe how we think of setbacks and encourage everyone to inspire girls to see these experiences as a way to build their confidence & keep going.”

Always has also engaged actress and advocate Yara Shahidi to help empower girls and, through her own experiences, help them see that it is important to keep trying new things even if they’re afraid to fail.

As they approach adulthood and look back, many girls recognize that the moments when they struggled through a setback led them to grow more resilient. In fact, the top three things gained from working through a failure are increased knowledge, strength and confidence. That’s why it is important for society to encourage girls to keep going even when they don’t immediately succeed. Research shows that girls need that societal support to truly thrive. In fact, more than 80% of girls agree that if girls felt failing was okay during puberty, they would keep doing the things they loved, take on more challenges and grow in confidence.

“Learning from the Always Confidence & Puberty Survey that one in two girls feel that if they fail society will reject them is heart-breaking and moreover alarming,” says Michèle Baeten, Always associate director, Procter & Gamble. “Always will do all that we can to normalize and reframe failure as something that is not to be feared, but something that is crucial to growth and building confidence. Our goal is to create an environment where girls feel they have full support to try new things, make mistakes, and are encouraged to keep going.”

Key Always Confidence & Puberty Wave V Study Findings

• Over half of girls lose confidence at puberty
• 50% of girls feel paralyzed by fear of failure during puberty
• Seven in 10 girls avoid trying new things during puberty because they are afraid to fail and six in 10 said that failing during puberty made them want to quit
• Half of girls feel that society rejects girls who fail
• Eight in 10 girls report societal pressure to please others & be perfect are key contributors to girls’ fear of failure during puberty
• 75% of girls agree that social media contributes to girls’ fear of failing during puberty
• Top three things girls gain from persevering through failing are increased knowledge, strength and confidence
• Over 80% of girls agree that if girls felt failing was okay during puberty, they would keep doing the things they loved, take on more challenges and grow in confidence