MANILA, Philippines—The soon-to-be-released film “The Women” will surely awaken the values of sisterhood, friendships and family ties among its viewers.

Dove recently held an event that highlighted the women behind “The Women.” Everyone in the film, not only the actresses, are women. Women held key positions in the production, and the film was written and directed by “Murphy Brown” creator Diane English. With this movie, Hollywood is throwing a spotlight on themes such as self-esteem, real beauty and women’s issues.

During the event, a video featuring the women behind “The Women” was played, but what struck me most were the lyrics of the song in the background.

The song, “Freckles,” by Natasha Bedingfield, went as follows:

Cause a face without freckles is like a sky without the stars
Why waste a second not loving who you are?
Those little imperfections make you beautiful, lovable, valuable
They show your personality inside your heart
Reflecting who you are...

The song perfectly underlined the event’s theme, which was all about self-esteem. Dove presented Bernice Palanca, Katrina Alunan Gonzalez, Romina Urra Gonzalez, Georgie Diaz Baillet and Juana Manahan and other special guests that afternoon as epitomes of radiant self-esteem.

And because they fully accept themselves as they are, their inner beauty shines through. Or, in the words of Melanie Hughs-Weaver, chief makeup artist on the set of “The Women:” “The most powerful and deep beauties are the ones that have discovered beauty within themselves.”

“The Women” features a powerhouse cast of distinguished actresses—Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler and Candice Bergen.

The characters they play represent today’s typical women. While they continue to fulfill the traditional roles of mother, wife, partner and homemaker, they are also professionals, executives, crusaders, artists and more. Their many roles are diverse and challenging, affording them choices that were not available to older generations.

But the privilege of choice comes with a price. The lives of many successful women, though fulfilling, are also stressful and complicated, involving a never-ending search for perfection and true joy.

Avenues

One of the thrusts of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty is to provide avenues for women to express their views about beauty and share them with other women around the world. In this way, women are able to form circles of support and friendship with other women that would allow them to feel better about themselves and their place in the world.

The main theme of “The Women” is friendship, and how this bond helps each character on her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Similarly, a woman’s circle of friends provides more than support. It is her source of balance and strength and, in many cases, some of life’s most important lessons.

And though society at large often defines our notions of beauty and success, it is through a woman’s circle of friends that she discovers and uncovers her real beauty.

Dove’s event paid tribute to sisters, friends, extended families, and mothers and daughters, showing how relationships flourish and succeed among women, not only on screen but also in real life.