Bhubaneswar, March 11 (LocalWire): Despite campaigns against body-shaming and its adverse effects on mental health, the cruel practice continues to haunt young girls in campuses today.
The problem is more visible when they join colleges, as they step into a world of new possibilities and freedom from their regimented school life and close care of parents.
At such an age, body-shaming can leave them in a state of permanent psychological trauma, as they become more conscious about how they look, or how others think or talk about them.
Speaking to LocalWire, several young girls have recently narrated their own personal experiences of body-shaming, and how they’ve managed to cope with such a situation.
Many, though, have revealed that support from fellow girlfriends has been a major help in overcoming the painful situation.
Shruti, a university student, said that she had seen all too closely how body-shaming and “character assassination” by fellow mates had caused her an enduring mental pain.
“I would never forget the remarks that echoed in the hallways of my college,” she said. But what troubled her most was the fact that those belittling voices had come from girls.
She said, “I was a little shy, and introverted; so I was never a part of big groups growing up, which is not a problem at all. But I used to hear girls in my class gossip about other girls.
“It wasn’t long before I started hearing talks about myself,” Shruti said.
She recalls how at times she had doubted herself. “It affects your confidence, when they throw such things at you, especially from those who should stand with you.
“A non-judgmental approach to life can be the best solution for the problem,” Shruti said.
Krishna, a graduation student of a women’s college in Bhubaneswar, said she always had insecurities about her body and how she looked.
She, though, had come out with a solution herself to deal with the problem, and that worked for her.
She had decided to post a picture of herself on social media, with a caption about her body. “My post was the topic of discussion for everyone when I went to college next day. They were laughing at my pictures and accusing me of being a fake feminist.”
“Every time a woman talks about another woman in such a way, it’s a step back for the entire community. If it weren’t for the unity of women in New York in 1908, protesting for equal rights, we wouldn’t have had this movement.
“Had women not stood up with the victims of the #metoo movement, the evil voices would have won over. The common factor in these scenarios is women supporting each other,” she said.
She has now put all that behind her, and finally is able to appreciate her looks.
LocalWire
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