Caster Semenya, the South African Olympic medal winner who is battling to compete in the delayed Olympics in Tokyo, has now found support from Unilever-owned soap brand Lux.
Semenya is fighting World Athletics’ decision to ban her from competing because of her naturally high level of testosterone, despite being legally recognized as a woman.
In response, Lux has released a campaign “Born This Way” to show support to Semenya and help women overcome misogyny while expressing their femininity. Lux has pledged to inspire 50 million women by 2025.
‘I am unapologetically a woman’
Created by Wunderman Thompson, the animated video will be shared on social media, and includes the statement “Lux stands for Caster. Lux stands for all women.”
Speaking to Adweek, Semenya said: “I am a woman, and I am fast. I have naturally high testosterone, but I am unapologetically a woman.”
On the “Born This Way” campaign, Semenya, who is currently training to defend her Olympic title despite the ban, said she was “proud” to be involved and added that the brand should continue to educate and expose discrimination faced by athletes.
By way of comparison, Semenya highlighted that taller basketball players like LeBron James are not banned for having a physical advantage.
“So, why should athletes with naturally high testosterone be banned from running?” she questioned.
“If all tall players are banned, would basketball be the same? This is much bigger than me. I look forward to a day when all athletes—all people—can be who they were born to be, unapologetically.”
The campaign follows Unilever’s global launch in March of the “Positive Beauty” strategy, which champions beauty and exclusivity. It also dropped the use of the word “normal” from its product packaging.
Lux’s global vice president, Severine Vauleon explained that she was passionate about brands and their ability to make “a positive impact” on people’s lives.
“It pains me that in this day and age, women still constantly get judged for how they look and choose to express their femininity,” she continued. “[Caster] is an example and an inspiration for women everywhere, to rise above the judgements of others and express their beauty fully and authentically. At Lux, we believe that beauty should be a source of strength rather than a source of judgement.”
In 2018, Nike celebrated Semenya’s life in a spot that ran to celebrate 30 years of the brand’s “Just Do It” tagline.
