Have We Sold Away Women's Dignity?

Being a woman today is dangerous...and it's not laughable. Too many women (and their children) still around the world are in poverty, destitution, forced to live in squalor, denied jobs because of their gender, paid terribly less than men, and suffer unmentionable crimes against them. Too many young women report are forced into human slavery and trafficked as sex slaves worldwide. Many women still only get paid 71 cents on average to every man's full one dollar. Social pressures seem to ignore the advances that feminism fought dearly for. It seems that the world does not believe women are free, independent, beings and can decide for themselves how to use their bodies. It seems the male-led religions feel threatened that women can decide how to take care of their bodies. Women are still being told that they must submit to their husbands--but do the men follow suit to their wives the same way? Also, young women are drawn into dressing near nakedness, while young men don't nearly go as far. Also, too many women are told subconciously that being skeletal thin makes you attractive. And women much more than men are beaten down for being over some weight standard. But, what we really never hear is how we are truly beautiful as we are today, and not for some false ideal that will not bring us happiness, but more torture and pain. In short, women are beaten down in one way or another. Either we're too smart or too dumb or too fat or too skinny--but no one ever says--we are beautiful just as we are. Too many are told how to dress a certain way with certain colors to "mask" the supposed body flaws we have. Whatever happened to saying that that they weren't flaws at all-but the very things that show our real beauty as women!!! Whaever happened to saying that our human worth, our dignity, holding our heads high. By our agreeing with the fashion magazines' images we slander ourselves and insult our own inner beauty. Without us the world would be in worse shape. We will never look magazine-cover ready--but we will have a beautiful womanhood that can never be insulted--that of mothers, friends, confidants, sisters, buddies, committed, concerned family people. Instead of telling a woman she needs to lose weight to be loved and accepted--tell her to do it so she doesn't get diabetes or heart disease. Teach girls to admire themselves, and raise them early on to stand up for themselves--telling themselves there is not one thing wrong with how they look--it's time we took the truth to every person worldwide and say: "Enough insults, enough falsehoods about females, and we won't take it anymore" If you are a woman who has insulted herself for how she looks because you have given yourself into the marketers' view, then forgive yourself, start again, and love yourself for who you are right now. The next time someone, man or woman, tells you you look ugly, fat, not beautifull-tell them it is truly their problem and how dare they judge their own appearance better than your own? Also ask them what makes them an authority in this area. In addition, when you stop and admire who you are this very moment, you break the cycle of lies told about women--you celebrate dignity. So, go to the mirror, admire yourself, and thank God for your body--it's the one that got your through school, college, married and/or with a significant other; it also got you jobs; through it you made friends; with your body you have hands to hug and be hugged; you have feet that carry you all around the world; your eyes helped you see the beauty of life; your ears helped you hear the words of love from many; and your face attracted many amazing wonderful people from friends to lovers. So, don't be too hard on your body. It has and will serve you well.