As women, we face an impossible hurdle: to find, be and remain ourselves in the midst of ever-changing beauty standards, and increased political scrutiny over our own autonomy. Although progress has been made in the civil and social spheres, there are still many challenges that women face in relation to their outward appearance, age and self-image — particularly for women of color.

It’s hard not to feel the effects of society’s obsession with beauty, especially when it comes to women. The bodies, the hair, the skin and the faces of women are intensely scrutinized and underrepresented in media, government and many other outlets. This fact rings true for all women, but is even more relevant to members of the LGBTQ community, disability community, women of color and women of a certain age. Even when represented, these communities are faced with the added pressure of adhering to even stricter standards imposed on them by those in charge (aka, those with the most privilege).

While the beauty standards for women haven’t been written into law, they’ve been written into the social and moral norms we all subconsciously abide in. Our bodies are constantly being tried in the court of public opinion. Our bodies are inherently political, and therefore, not fully our own. Each decision made by a woman, in regards to her outward self, is a statement. A statement that says you either fall in line with what society deems acceptable, or you do not.

Neither option is good; neither option is bad. They just are. They, again, serve to remind us that as women, we can never simply … be.

How do we then find out who we are? How do we come to know ourselves fully while navigating this gendered minefield? How can we just be AND how do we fight back?

We continue to find ourselves. We continue to discover who we are and how we present ourselves to the world. We encourage others to do the same. We recognize our own privileges and lift up one another. We fight together against these systems of oppression. All of us, as a community of women — this rich tapestry of intersecting lives — take our politicized bodies and use them to our advantage. We use them to fight back by just being.

Chelsea Davis

Writing since February 2018 · 1 story contributed