Mary Manning
NOW - National Organization for Women USA - has launched a campaign to help "raise awareness about women's health, body image and self-esteem," and "urges women to question beauty ideals." The campaign will culminate on October 15, 2009, the day earmarked to celebrate Love Your Body Day with actions and events.
Since 1997, NOW Foundation's Love Your Body has "given girls and women the tools and the encouragement to ‘just say no' to the air-brushed, cookie cutter images that Hollywood and Madison Avenue are trying to sell." On October 15, NOW chapters and campus and community activists will be organizing "fashion shows featuring women of all shapes and sizes; talking about embracing healthy lifestyles; and welcoming guest speakers to share information about the risks of silicone breast implants, the dangers of tobacco products, HIV/AIDS and other women's health issues. Some communities are holding mentoring workshops promoting self-esteem among women and girls."
FAWCO clubs can join in the celebration by sponsoring and organizing similar events for their members and daughters. Even a sorority, Delta Delta Delta, has joined in the campaign by partnering with NOW Foundation in its Fat Talk Free Week. "This five-day awareness campaign (Oct. 13-17) challenges and begins to reverse the prevalent and damaging pursuit of the ‘thin ideal' by women of all ages. The sorority has assisted in the development of the world's first peer-led body image program that has been scientifically shown to work-reducing negative body image and raising important awareness about a healthy ideal. For more information on the Tri-Delta campaign, go to: http://www.tridelta.org/."
2/25/2009
