Jessie Ware discusses India visit and youth confidence work
Singer and UNICEF UK ambassador Jessie Ware traveled to Uttar Pradesh to meet young people involved in the Dove Self-Esteem Project. During workshops, students used comic books, role-play, and group discussions to explore appearance pressure, gender expectations, and self-worth. Ware said the conversations about confidence and speaking up felt universal despite their different lives.
Jessie Ware, a singer, broadcaster, and UNICEF UK ambassador, went to Uttar Pradesh to see the Dove Self-Esteem Project in action. The mother of three, also known for her music and Table Manners podcast, took part in workshops where teenagers used the Aadha Full comics, role-play, and group talks to consider beauty-related pressure, gender norms, and feelings of self-worth.
She met Purnima, a high school student who performed Bharatnatyam, a traditional Indian dance. Ware said some boys and girls had earlier lacked confidence to speak up, yet later enacted comic stories and shared their own experiences. She called them creative and ambitious, and found their conversations about confidence and self-expression universal.
This visit may draw wider attention to youth self-esteem and body-image pressures, particularly for adolescents in India and beyond. By sharing workshop experiences, Ware could help normalize conversations about confidence, gender expectations, and speaking up. Schools, families, and mental-health advocates might see renewed interest in similar programs, while young people who encounter the story may feel less alone. The involvement of