It started off with Natasha Barrett, the president of Femsoc, and H, the recently elected women and marginalised genders' events and initiatives rep, talking about body hair. This set the tone for the entire talk, it was chatty and welcoming, and they talked about everything from awkward shaving experiences to shaving and relationships, to not shaving at all.
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| Why do we always zoom in on celebs under arms? |
After that we heard from Garen Abel Unokan who talked about BME body image, in particular the representation of Black Women. For those who came to the screening of Dark Girls in October or have seen this documentary before, you will be aware of the racism within their own community which black women face. This was something Garen emphasised in her talk; having worked for a beauty magazine specifically for a black audience, she was surprised how many skin lightening ads she found, and how many articles on 'relaxing' your hair- a proccess of straightening hair that is particular wavy or curly, as is typical of BME women.
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| Why are we made to think the hair on the right is 'better' |
The final speaker was Antonia King. She approached me wanting to talk about make up a few days before the talk was to happen as I was searching for a few speakers, having had a couple pull out. I am so glad she spoke about this issue because it wasn't one that many people had considered. People were really interested in discussing this, as she brought up how we can't shame people who wear too much or too little make up; if that's what people like to do, that's fine.
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| Why do we feel like we can comment on the amount of make up someone wears? Especially if it's what makes them feel good. |
The discussion afterwards was brilliant. Everyone chipped in, sharing experience. We discovered we had a lot in common. Like knowing we had to shave our legs without ever being told to do so. Like having parents tell us how we should look. Like having an interview and getting told how to look good for it when our male counterparts were offered valuable advice for the job. Like how when we wear make up people talk to us more, how people feel like they have a right to comment on our bodies, and most importantly how important it is to have a supportive group of friends.
Overall, I was incredibly pleased with the talk and I've realised how important it is for us to keep talking about these things in safe spaces, and make sure we create a campus that is the most open and supportive it can be.
