The Body Shop U.S. is leading a bold initiative to ramp up youth voter participation ahead of the midterm elections.
By Shannon Dawson
(Source Blackamericanweb.com):
The Body Shop U.S. is leading a bold initiative to ramp up youth voter participation ahead of the midterm elections. On Friday, the company announced the launch of their Be Seen Be Heard initiative, a digital campaign that will provide young voters with resources about the election in November.
Visitors on The Body Shop’s website can access the resource by signing up through the company’s virtual portal. Once logged in, users can utilize the brand’s virtual voting hub to check up on their current registration status and even register to vote. The Body Shop teamed up with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy to launch the unique voting resource with the hope of encouraging young voters to exercise their civic power.
“The Body Shop believes that youth need a seat at the table where important decisions are being made, especially rulings that directly affect them,” said Hilary Lloyd, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Responsibility for The Body Shop North America. “Over the last few years, we have been deeply inspired by how young people have flexed their political voice through direct protesting, lobbying their representatives and advocating for causes online. Now, we’re proud to help amplify their voices at the ballot box.”
The campaign serves as an extension of the Body Shop and UN’s joint report “Be Seen Be Heard: Understanding young people’s political participation,” which found that American and International youth have become increasingly interesting in politics over the last year.
According to a study conducted by Statista, youth participation during the 2020 presidential election skyrocketed in 2020 where 55 percent of voters were between the ages of 18 and 29. The highest youth turnout rate was in 1972, when 55.4 percent of voters were between the ages of 18 and 29 during the election.
Young voters were responsible for a number of Democratic victories in the 2018 congressional and 2020 presidential elections. But some politicians worry that youth participation could decrease this year given the poor sentiment around President Biden’s performance.
Last month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Nikema Williams introduced the Youth Voting Rights Act, which would expand voting opportunities for young people on and off college campuses.
In addition to the online voting hub, The Body Shop will also offer customers a ‘Flex Your Power Pack’ made up of their popular skincare and body care products “to encourage young activists to practice self-care and give them the confidence they need to make their voices heard.”
The fun self-care pack includes travel-size versions of the brands Ginger Shampoo, Tea Tree Oil, Hemp Hand Cream and Shea Body Butter. All proceeds from the initiative will go toward Generation Citizen, a civics education organization.
