The Body Shop Is Rallying Young Canadians to Vote in Upcoming Municipal Elections
- As part of its global Be Seen. Be Heard. campaign, The Body Shop is supporting first-time voters in Canada through education and inspiring story telling.
- $1 from each sale of the brand's new 'Flex Your Power' pack will benefit nonprofit partner, Apathy is Boring.
- To help spread the word, The Body Shop is rallying Be Heard ambassadors across North America.
TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2022 /CNW/ -- On International Youth Day, The Body Shop Canada is taking bold action to give young people across the country the skills and resources they need to make their voices heard and encouraging them to vote in this year's municipal elections and beyond.
Starting today, visitors to The Body Shop's Canadian stores and website can learn about the importance of voting and pledge to vote in this year's municipal elections, happening throughout the fall across the country.
This effort is an extension of Be Seen. Be Heard, the global campaign from The Body Shop and the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth focused on amplifying youth perspectives and representation in public life in more than 75 countries. The campaign was launched at the UN headquarters in May in conjunction with the extensive report Be Seen Be Heard: Understanding young people's political participation, which demonstrated a significant appetite for sweeping political change from youth around the globe and across Canada. In the report, 80 percent of young Canadians stated that they think political systems need drastic reforms to be fit for the future, and 77 percent said they want to make positive changes in the world but don't know where to start.
The Body Shop Canada's move to empower young voters comes on the heels of record low turnout for the Ontario provincial election, in which a majority of eligible voters did not cast their ballots. Overall, voting is down in Canada, both provincially and federally, and a significant turnout gap between younger and older voters remains ongoing.
"If we want to make meaningful change and solve our country's most pressing issues, voting is one of the fastest and most effective ways to make that happen," said Hilary Lloyd, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Responsibility for The Body Shop North America. "We know a lot of young people want to make change, and this is a great place to start. We hope that engaging with this campaign can be a great first step."
The Body Shop Canada is partnering with the non-partisan, national non-profit Apathy is Boring (AisB) to engage more young Canadians in democracy and remove barriers for first-time voters. AisB will help The Body Shop bring education tools, resources and access to youth across the country, so they are empowered and eager to participate in municipal elections throughout the fall.
"AisB recognizes that our democracy does not historically support or equally engage with all Canadians, particularly young people, who often face both motivational and educational barriers to voting," said Samantha Reusch, Executive Director of AisB. "We're proud to partner with The Body Shop to remove those barriers and get young voters prepared and excited to vote in their local elections this fall."
The retailer also is launching a 'Flex Your Power Pack' made up of its skincare and body care products to encourage self-care through the often emotionally and physically draining aspects of activism work. The pack includes travel-size versions of the brand's bestsellers including Ginger Shampoo, Tea Tree Oil, Hemp Hand Cream and Shea Body Butter. For every pack sold, The Body Shop will donate $1 up to $25,000 to Apathy is Boring to support the organization's work ensuring young people have the opportunity, resources and capacity to contribute their voices to Canada's electoral process.
To spread the word about Be Seen. Be Heard, The Body Shop is rallying 'Be Heard' ambassadors across North America who prove to their communities that you are never too young to make a difference. The list of changemakers involved include reproductive rights activist Deja Foxx, equity and climate justice organizer Larissa Crawford, sustainability and low-impact lifestyle champion Karishma Porwal, education equity advocate Marley Dias and UNICEF ambassador and actress Saara Chaudry.
For more information about The Body Shop's Be Seen. Be Heard. campaign, please visit: https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-ca/about-us/activism/be-seen-be-heard/a/a00072
ABOUT THE BODY SHOP
As a B Corp business, The Body Shop is committed to ambitious social and environmental targets. Earlier this year, it established a Youth Collective to help amplify youth voices within its own business. The Body Shop Youth Collective is formed of 10-12 people from inside and outside the business, all aged under 30. They will advise The Body Shop Executive Leadership Team with the views and voices of young people.
The Body Shop invests heavily in activism and has a dedicated activism team, focused on research and tactics, operating around the world. Long before activism was an industry buzzword, The Body Shop has pushed for change where other brands saw risks. It has mobilized its global collective and campaigned for over 20 years on issues such as the rights of indigenous peoples, animal rights, sex trafficking and the burning of the Amazon rainforest.
For more information follow @thebodyshopnorthamerica on Instagram or visit, thebodyshop.com.
ABOUT APATHY IS BORING
Apathy is Boring (A is B) is a non-partisan, charitable organization that supports and educates youth to be active and contributing citizens in Canada's democracy. While one of the organization's primary missions since its inception in 2004 is to promote the youth vote, AisB firmly believes that getting young people actively involved at all decision-making levels will inevitably lead to an increase in civic participation and better outcomes for us all.
MEDIA CONTACT
Brooke Buonauro
[email protected]
973-219-0108
SOURCE The Body Shop
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