Six-week showcase hosted by UNICEF, Girl Up and Disney will feature inspiring images from female photographers created to encourage kids around the globe to dream big
#DreamBigPrincess photos shared on social media generated 1 million likes and shares in just 5 days, enabling a $1 million donation from Disney to United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up program
Disney announced that its series of empowering #DreamBigPrincess photographs will be going on display as an exhibit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City through the first week of January in collaboration with Girl Up and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund.
The images captured by nineteen female photographers from fifteen countries showcase the inspiring stories of real-world girls and women, as part of Disney’s Dream Big, Princess initiative launched in 2016, which taps into the power of Disney Princess stories to encourage kids to follow their dreams.
“This initiative is about celebrating the positive impact of strong female role models, whether that’s Moana, Tiana or one of the amazing real-world subjects of the #DreamBigPrincess images. We’re thrilled with the response to the campaign and excited to partner with Girl Up, at the United Nations Foundation to showcase these powerful images to such an international audience,” Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, said.
The display will feature the compelling images from the campaign’s award-winning photographers and their subjects, who have turned their dreams into reality.
From the youngest ever speaker at the UN to a gold-medal-winning Chinese Paralympian, the founder of the first female cycling team in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, a teenage author of a STEM coding book for kids, and a young surf champion from Brazil, the images spotlight a diverse range of stories to connect with kids and families around the world.As well as inspiring kids with positive images and the stories behind them, the campaign aimed to make a tangible difference for girls who face challenges in achieving their dreams, through a collaboration with Girl Up, at the United Nations Foundation.
For each like or post of a #DreamBigPrincess photo during the campaign timeframe, Disney donated $1 to Girl Up to support girls’ leadership and empowerment.
Since their release in August, the images have been liked and shared millions of times online, enabling Disney to donate $1 million to Girl Up.
“#DreamBigPrincess really caught the collective imagination and we are so grateful to everyone who liked, shared or created their own inspiring image to support the campaign,” Girl Up Director Melissa Kilby said. “The $1 million will help give thousands of girls around the globe the tools they need to achieve their goals and advocate on behalf of others.”
The campaign brought the #DreamBigPrincess message to life in a multitude of ways, including highlighting women who’ve achieved success in the face of adversity, young Girl Up Teen Advisors who’ve already helped make a positive impact on the world, and girls at play who illustrate the importance of imagination in childhood.
Thousands of people also posted their own inspiring images using #DreamBigPrincess, a select number of which will be exhibited alongside the original photographs at the United Nations and supported by UNICEF, which works to protect children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
A core component is to advance gender equality and the rights of girls.
“Imagine a world where every girl follows her dream, and is safe, healthy, and can go to school,” Paloma Escudero, Director of Communications for UNICEF, said. “It is our collective duty to help make this world a reality and empower girls to reach their full potential.”
In 2016, Disney launched “Dream Big, Princess”, a campaign that encourages kids everywhere to dream big by highlighting key story moments and the inspiring qualities that each Disney Princess showcases through her adventures, such as Merida’s bravery, Cinderella’s kindness or Tiana’s perseverance.
While each princess has her own unique and admirable qualities, what they all have in common is resilience and an ability to triumph over adversity to make their dreams come true.
The Dream Big, Princess content series, which runs across Disney TV and digital networks globally, brings together a host of empowered moments from beloved Disney movies with the stories of real-life young role models, who have dreamed big and achieved their goals to show kids what’s possible.The exhibit is proudly presented by UNICEF, United Nations Foundation Girl Up, and Disney, and co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of Brazil, Germany, India and Kenya.
The exhibit will be open for public viewing in the UN visitors lobby via pre-scheduled guided tours Monday-Friday or on the weekends via a UN security pass.
For more details on hours, location and security clearance please visit
visit.un.org/content/location.
About The Walt Disney Company:
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, and consumer products and interactive media. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $55.6 billion in its Fiscal Year 2016.
About Girl Up
Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign, supports the empowerment of girls everywhere. Since its launch in 2010, Girl Up has funded UN programs that promote the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries and built a community of over half a million passionate advocates. Our girl leaders, representing more than 1800 Girl Up Clubs in 90 countries, stand up, speak up, and rise up to support the hardest to reach girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl. Learn more at GirlUp.org.
About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at unfoundation.org.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit unicef.org.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment presents “American Made,” the international escapade based on the outrageous (and real) exploits of a hustler and pilot unexpectedly recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history.
According to Kristin 