March 19th, 2025

STOP THE SYNTHETIC SHAMING OF WOMEN
The astronaut Sunita Williams is splashed all over the media who are fixated on her appearance after being lost in space for nine months. She wasn’t chosen to go to space for her looks, her incredible military experience and 30 years experience with NASA has been completely overlooked to focus on her wrinkles and aging. Newsflash, they don’t have hairdressers and beauticians in space. She cut off her long hair and donated it to charity before a previous space mission. She is the only astronaut to complete a marathon in space. Meanwhile her colleague, Butch has cornered less than a paragraph of news reporting on his physical appearance.  Whether it’s the relentless scrutiny of celebrities on the red carpet or the judgment women face in their everyday lives, appearance-based criticism remains a constant. Today I opened instagram to see an advert for women in their 40s and 50s  get the legs of a 20 year old. No thank you, I am not in competition with a child.
Society's obsession with women's appearances is deeply ingrained in history. For centuries, beauty has been seen as a woman's currency, a measure of her worth. Patriarchal standards created impossible ideals that shifted with the times—from ridiculous corseted silhouettes to size-zero bodies. And we are all guilty of buying into these expectations, getting botox tweaks and downing collagen shots that promise the illusion of perfection. But perfection doesn’t exist. Any recent pictures from the Oscars will present a group of women with the same make up look. Whatever happened to individuality?
Whatever we do, we are often labeled as "too much" or "not enough" — too thin, too curvy, too old, too young, too plain, too glamorous. This ridiculous pressure to meet unrealistic standards can erode self-confidence.  I too feel anxiety and self-body shame despite looking presentable after having six kids, losing an ovary that ruptured in childbirth and nearly dying on the operating table. Social media fuels these criticisms daily, no wonder GenZ are so depressed. We need to step back and remember that our value doesn’t lie in our appearance and our accomplishments are far greater than our bra and waist size. And forget the audacity of mediocre men who look like a potato who feel the need to comment on women’s appearance. That’s an entirely new trend apparently.
We need to remember that beauty doesn’t fit into a box and we should embrace the diversity of body types, skin tones, and expressions of femininity.
​It’s time to speak up over the  harmful comments and stand up against body shaming.I almost got a tiktokban last week for calling out a man who felt the need to cricitise. And yes,I know I post bikini pics but that is for self empowerment, to inspire other women that a bikini doesn’t have a sell by date past 30. Every body is a bikini body.
Speak to yourself with kindness. Treat your body as a source of strength and joy rather than an object to be judged. Your body is an incredible machine and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Some people would love to be in your shoes, literally, to be able to walk unaided or carry shopping without getting breathless.
Women are multifaceted, resilient, and powerful. We are leaders, artists, mothers, entrepreneurs, and friends. Our worth is not confined to a dress size or a wrinkle count. The next time you feel the weight of judgment, remember that your value lies in your spirit, your laughter, and the love you share with others. Our beauty is a reflection of our confidence and authenticity where every woman is free to shine, whatever shape we are.here to edit.

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