Here's to ending body shaming and finding comfort in ourselves.
By Kiarra Sylvester — Written on Nov 18, 2014
Each day we take greater strides towards embracing the natural curves that make us phenomenal women, as Maya Angelou put it. But with weight-loss products and fad diets still popular, stick-thin bodies gracing magazine covers and a modeling industry that clearly stuggles with the "plus size" label, it generally seems that women are still more of a fight for their right to be comfortable in their skin.
Not many of us are willing to vocalize the fact that societal norms are taking a toll on how we feel about ourselves. Some may not even realize that it has affected us. That's where Michelle Fetsch, founder of Women Enough, comes to the rescue. She started the BARE campaign, which showcases women from all walks of life completely nude.
With the goal of showing a realistic depiction, (you know, before the airbrush effects and Photoshop) she wants to help women of all ages feel more comfortable in their skin and provide something real for younger girls to look up to.
Hundreds of women between the ages of 23-80 were selected to be apart of the campaign. It provided an outlet for women to both reveal and discover their most inner feelings towards their selves and work toward having a healthy body image.
One woman describes her experience with the campaign, "And as I went BARE, I released the shame and shadows that I didn't even know I had. Going bare is a very unique opportunity to uncover and reclaim those places of shame you don't even know you have."
And now, they're raising $150,000 dollars to bring the 7-week BARE experience to more than 1,000 women in 10 cities around the world. Click here to donate and help women across the globe feel comfortable in their skin and become role models.
We, as women, must work together to be on the same page when promoting the concept that beauty is NOT one-dimensional. It does come in all shapes, colors and sizes. BARE is definitely a step in the right direction—and it's on it's way to getting bigger and better.
See some of the campaign's empowering photos below.
