As we come to the end of Women’s History month, it is important to reflect on what this historic month means for women and how we can think about this time. This month has focused on celebrating the strength of women, but what does that really mean? There has been a large movement around the strength of women mentally, specifically with reference to being powerful and independent. Does this same praise apply to our physical traits? Celebrating women means celebrating every part of us: our minds, bodies and spirits.
During this month, I have chosen to focus on celebrating my physical strength and power. Frequently, the media and the beauty industry portray beautiful women as only delicate and thin, reinforcing historic gender expectations. As an athlete myself, I have struggled with my desire to be seen as strong both mentally and physically. Sadly, the media has its own ideas of beauty standards, and young women like me are forced to debunk these standards for healthier and more realistic expectations. Through greater reflection, I consider how to push back against the historically defined expectations around beauty and appearance. It occurs to me that so much of the issue is rooted in a lack of representation of diverse and healthy body types. There is no question that the way media and beauty industries portray women has an enormous impact on what society considers beautiful and ideal. Although it might not be publicly acknowledged, these industries are the bellwether for how society views body image. With the power these industries hold, sadly, a false narrative around healthy body image is perpetuated by underrepresentation of different bodies within the modeling industry.
While it is clear that we have a long way to go until unrealistic beauty standards and lifestyles are no longer “in fashion,” there are many companies and athletes who have already begun to dismantle these false narratives. Brands like LuluLemon have worked to expand their representation of all body types in their campaigns and advertisements, emphasizing that there is not one healthy body type. Additionally, world renowned tennis player, Serena Williams has used her platform to speak on her body image struggles as a female athlete and her desire to spread a message around the beauty of strength. Taking the tennis court and world by storm, Williams has won 23 grand slams and held the title as the number 1 female singles player in the world. In several interviews, she has spoken about body image and tried to reinforce the message of “owning what you got.” In an interview with Time Magazine, Williams states, “It's who I am, and I want people to be proud of who they are,” she says. “Too many times young women are told that they're not good enough or they don't look good enough, or they shouldn't do this, or they shouldn't look like that. Really there's no one who should judge that except for you, and in general, that's the message that I want people to see.” Serena Williams has been vocal about body image throughout her career and continues to inspire women around the world as she emphasizes the beauty of those who are strong and powerful.
Brands like LuluLemon and athletes like Serena Williams remind us that our bodies are more than just objects to criticize: they are our superpowers. As we close out this month focused on celebrating strong women, I urge you to reflect and give thanks to your body for all that it does for you. Strong is beautiful.
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