My daughter is seven years old and she worries about how she looks. Do my clothes go together? Is this skirt cool? I wore this last week I can't wear it again! That's how it always starts. Soon enough she'll be worrying that her boobs aren't big enough or her legs are too skinny or that her hair looks limp. She'll go on diets and wear makeup to try and make people accept her. She'll beat herself up about failing at fitting in and she'll feel crap a lot of the time.
How do I know? Because that's what happens to pretty much every girl. I though it was just me who felt like that as I was growing up, but talk to anyone woman honestly about the subject of body image and self confidence and you will hear the same story.
We're all guilty of perpetuating this misery, even if we do it subconsciously. We teach our children that looks are the most important. Think about last time you saw a little girl. Did you compliment her on such a pretty dress or tell her that her hair looked cute? What about last time you saw a little boy? Did you talk about his image, his clothes? Or did you tell him what a cool toy car he had?
We are all subjected to false images on a daily basis. Even if you don't read magazines you still see all those front covers with models photoshopped to 'perfection' and the red-top tabloids highlighting every little 'flaw'. TV, film, billboards - they're all the same. We are tricked into believing fame is the same as success, and we don't see anyone 'successful' who isn't slim, toned, tanned and 'perfect'. This association is dangerous because the 'success' we are aiming for is unattainable, it's false.
A calendar isn't going to change our attitudes and habits, but it's a start. By supporting this campaign you will help to raise awareness of an issue which is affecting everyone. You will show the world that you can be happy and beautiful without conforming to the media stereotypes of those words.
And hey, you'll also get a pretty cool calendar too!
Please, please share this campaign with your friends and hit the contribute button so we can make it happen.
Ali. x
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