Body Shop partners to increase U.S.voter access, registration
The Body Shop is teaming up with a national nonpartisan organization to register as many first-time voters as possible.
In partnership with HeadCount, visitors to The Body Shop's stores and website can register to vote, sign a pledge to support young people's participation in democracy and advocate for fair and accessible elections for all voters.
Together, The Body Shop and HeadCount will host a number of voter registration events this year too, including an activation in New York City on September 19, 2023 for National Voter Registration Day.
The voting initiative is part of Be Seen. Be Heard, the activist beauty’s retailer’s joint campaign with the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, which aims to increase young people's participation in public life in more than 75 countries.
In a release, The Body Shop said that, in 2021, at least 24 U.S. states have passed laws that make it more difficult to vote and at least 32 states have introduced similarly restrictive bills. These laws have profound implications for voters, especially young and first-time voters, affecting access to polling stations, transportation, the voter registration process and voter ID laws, among other key determinants for election turnout.
"Young people have the courage and moral clarity to help build a better world, but our institutions are not doing enough to make sure they are seen and heard," said Hilary Lloyd, VP of marketing and corporate social responsibility for The Body Shop North America. “We hope this campaign, and partnership with HeadCount, will inspire more youth to think about engaging with democracy as an ongoing practice, not just during major elections."
The Body Shop is now in its second year of Be Seen. Be Heard, which launched last May at the United Nations. The campaign has made numerous global strides since its launch, according to The Body Shop, including successfully lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 in Malaysia and encouraging the UK's House of Lords to amend two clauses in its Public Order Bill to better protect the right to protest.
The Body Shop operates about 2,500 retail locations in more than 70 countries. It is part of Natura & Co, a global multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact.