"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The wage gap. Representation in media. Consent. These are issues that have plagued women for centuries, but now, with the #metoo movement and other important conversations taking place, we are finally going to see some changes… right?
Talking is all well and good, but you know what’s even better? Action.
The Disconnect
It’s no small secret that clothing and beauty are massive markets, and the only way these markets are able to be so successful is by convincing women that their own natural beauty simply isn’t enough. That is why clothing is designed to show off our shape – and that is after we are shamed into dieting our shape into unhealthy levels of “perfection.”
When the rally cry goes up that every body is beautiful, that’s a good thing. When curvy women grace the covers of magazines, that is progress. But we are not out of the woods yet.
Inclusivity and Body Positivity is What Woxer Stands For
Try this little experiment. Go to Google. Type in “puts on leggy display.” What happens? Images and videos of celebrity women in shorts and skirts. Not images of men. Images of women.
Now type in “showing off smarts.” You can guess what happens. A smattering of scholarly discussions about being and acting smart, but not one glossy tabloid photo of a female celebrity having a deep discussion about anything STEM related.
This, once again, reinforces the need to keep pushing for more action, not just talk, in showing women as more than legs, shapes, and something pretty to photograph.
The Sad Truth
If you want to see how truly ridiculous it is, go to Bored Panda’s recent parody article where male celebrities were given the same objectifying headlines as women. It’s absolutely hilarious to laugh at “Arnold sizzles as he goes braless in polo shirt for Paris visit,” and “Chris Pratt exudes body confidence in barely there shorts,” but when we switch those male names out for female ones like this actual headline: “Kylie Jenner Goes Shirtless While Tugging Down Her Sweats & Flashing Her Rock-Hard Abs,” suddenly it’s not funny anymore. It’s downright creepy.
Be Part of the Change
We need to celebrate that important conversations regarding the objectification and degradation of women are finally taking place. But we also need to ensure that we keep that momentum going. For example, be careful of what you share on social media. Instead of hitting the share button on yet another celeb going naked (and airbrushed) on a magazine cover and hashtagging it #goals, share women like Greta Thunberg who are willing to call out an entire nation’s apathy. Instead of dreaming about looking like Kim Kardashian (easy to do if you have a spare $17,200 lying around), grab a copy of Tough Mothers and read about ordinary women whose bravery and courage changed history.
We don’t have the luxury of waiting around for the beauty industry to recognize us as more than a pretty face. We can be the strongest agents of change when we stop looking for outside validation and start believing in the beauty and strength that lies within.
Woxer supports the strong, natural, confident woman and knows that, when you are comfortable in your own skin, you can change the world.
Empower Yourself Through Comfort
