Women Empowerment & Body Inclusivity
Updated: Mar 26, 2021
[originally published August 10 2019]
What's the difference between being 'body positive' and 'body inclusive?' How does your own view of yourself affect women's rights? Here's a list of a few facts that you should know if you support women's rights and body inclusivity.
1. Hating ourselves because of our own bodies sets us back
Disrespect toward women is worst when it comes from ourselves. While we as women should always support the goals, successes, and skills of others, we should also support ourselves personally. You can't support all women when there's one woman that you don't support - yourself! Learn that your body isn't a signifier of your worth or beauty. Physical beauty distracts us from what's inside our hearts and minds. Body positivity says that all bodies are physically beautiful, but body inclusivity says that people don't need to look beautiful in order to love themselves and others. Once you learn how to love yourself unconditionally, loving others will come more naturally.
2. Attractiveness is Subjective
Everyone finds different things physically beautiful. For example, some people are attracted to brown eyes while others like blue eyes. Body positivity says that both of these eye colors are beautiful! Body inclusivity says that it doesn't matter if they're beautiful, they're both equally amazing despite their color. This is just another reason why you should provide love and respect to all despite how attractive you believe them to be.
3. All women or no women
Support the effort centered around equality for women includes trans women, disabled-bodied women, and women of all colors, ethnicities, shapes and sizes. Basically, if someone identifies as a woman, then that person is included in your consideration of women's rights. Respecting all women is important to body inclusivity. Again, body inclusivity doesn't care if you find another person's body attractive or acceptable, it only cares that you give them love and respect with the body that they have.
4. Stand up for all women
Don't shy away from an offensive action or comment directed at another woman. Stand up for her. I've learned that 'killing with kindness' is the way to go. People will treat both you and the other woman more nicely if you are kind first. Just explain yourself and spread love! Set a positive example for others. Everyone smiles and everyone suffers, so understand that hateful actions usually come from a more internal place of hate.
5. Don't undermine someone because they seem different from you
Understand that everyone has different experiences with their bodies. It doesn't matter how thin or fat you are if you're trying to become a better person! A thin woman trying to find peace with her body is just as valid as a fat person doing the same. When someone is simply sharing their personal experience, they aren't being ignorant. Ignorance comes from one realizing that they're wrong and not correcting their behavior. If you think that someone doesn't know what they're talking about, let them know kindly. If they aren't an ignorant person, they'll learn to understand their mistake. WE ARE ALL HUMAN. Try searching for ways to respect others rather than looking for hate.
