Mirror mirror on the wall
Don't care who's fairest of them all
Queen of your own world ... and unstoppable
A woman, not a little girl
Life is in control
So feel free
Feel lucky
Be who you'll be
No need to change
Love, Love yourself
You're so powerful
Respect yourself
Love, Love yourself
It's so beautiful to love yourself
Every woman
Come on and shout it out
Every woman
Come on an let it out
Don't really wanna know... (?)
Love yourself
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
Independent on your own
Confident within soul
Go and speak your mind
Strong and tough
You're glamourous
Nothing more and nothing less
Stand out with some pride
So feel free
Feel lucky
Be who you'll be
No need to change
Love, Love yourself
You're so powerful
Respect yourself
Love, Love yourself
It's so beautiful to love yourself
Every woman
Come on and shout it out
Every woman
Come on an let it out
Don't really wanna know so... (?)
Love yourself
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
Everywhere you go
You're beautiful
And don't you know
You're beautiful
Beautiful
Love, love yourself X2
Love, Love yourself
You're so powerful
Respect yourself
Love, Love yourself
It's so beautiful to love yourself
Every woman
Come on and shout it out
Every woman
Come on an let it out
Don't really wanna know so
Love yourself
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
Uhoh oh oh X2
Uhoh oh oh oh oh oh
The Following lyrics are from Anne Trolle's Song Love Yourself.
Although I think the song puts too much emphasis on being beautiful, it's empowering message is very important. While its important to maintain discussions on struggle, its also equally important to help facilitate empowerment, and remember that joy and esteem are possible.
Monday, April 21, 2014
The following link displays wage gaps across gender and race. I think this is important because it demonstrates how oppression has material consequences beyond self doubt. Self doubt and negative images in the media are just ways to normalize the literal ramifications of prejudice and discrimination.
Lupita Nyong'o Oscar Speech
Recently, Lupita Nyong'o, the female lead of the film 12 Years a Slave became the first Kenyan to win an Oscar. She used the opportunity to highlight some the ongoing obstacles facing women of color today. Particularly she addressed the battle to construct a healthy self identity. However what I find most inspiring about Lupita's speech is that it goes beyond just challenging Western notions of beauty. Lupita's speech subverts initial notion that women need to be beautiful in the first place. With Lupita's challenging emphasis on how one "cannot eat beauty," she invites women to engage in an even deeper journey of self love and acceptance.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
'Gora Rang' Complex
The British raj took over the subcontinent region when the Muslim rule ended in 1857 and lasted uptil 1947. This shift of power brought along multiple socio cultural changes in the subcontinent whose effects are felt to date. Although the British rule came to an end in 1947, but White Supremacy kept ruling the mind of the natives for so long that the socio cultural patterns still reflect a sense of royalty and supremacy attached to anything that looks, talks, and behaves like the Whites.
Pakistani women originally have dark hair, middle toned complexion, dark eyes, and sharp features and these physical traits were considered attractive for a long time in the region. Ever since the advent of British rule ,however, the definition of beauty evolved and took shape of anything that looked similar to the ruling elite in the subcontinent-the 'gora' (White) population. The complexion of the ruling class along with their lifestyle started being considered and perceived as prestigious. The closer some of the local population members found themselves to be in resemblance with the dominant ruling White class, better the sense of power and confidence they felt. In effect, some of them would shed their own skin and rather feel comfortable in owning foreign traits that would give them a sense of superiority, power, and royalty. The term' Brown Sahib' referred to the concept of a South Asian man who often belonged to a higher social strata and adopted British/Western lifestyle appearing consequently to be 'brown on the outside and white on the inside'. The prestige and value attached to English medium schools in Pakistan today too reflects the heap of importance and meaning given to Western lifestyle with respect to being an elite class member in the society. For women , the picture is ridiculed further by setting unrealistic standards of beauty for them that comply with the traits of 'Whites'. Women are considered physically attractive if they have a lighter skin/white complexion. Media in addition, reinforces and regulates the notion that 'white is pretty' and in order to look pretty girls should be white. Moreover, a lot of beauty products cash on this idea in order to retain their position in the market. Undue and unrealistic demands of the guy and his family especially in an arranged marriage setting are a social pressure on girls to come up to the standards of beauty set for them by the society which is oriented towards gratification of men. This in effect emphasizes the idea that women should be judged on the basis of their looks, and should be attractive and appealing. Unfortunately, such an approach highly overlooks the intellectual abilities of a woman which should actually mean much more, for its far more enduring and lasting impact on self and others, than any of the physical attributes she possesses. A 'gori' (white complexioned) woman is considered desirable by men and socially acceptable. It is interesting to note how a mere possession of a biological trait that no one could naturally have had a control over is over emphasized so much so that it puts a woman at an advantageous position compared to others in work, social, peer groups, media, career opportunities, educational opportunities, and leadership domains. Whiter complexion and fluency in English rather than talent and intellect sometimes earns women social acceptance and better career opportunities too. The 'identity theft' of minority group members and a minority within the minority group member-females, is socially constructed unjust and unhealthy phenomenon that calls for immediate attention. The purpose , however, should be to realize who we actually are and how to prime ourselves better fitting for our society psychologically, intellectually, and morally rather than hiding our true identities under an alien mask.
and she stands out ...
The Muslim's World's first woman Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a Harvard and Oxford graduate, is one of the world's most renowned political personalities. She remained in political power as the Prime Minister of Pakistan twice.She is well known for her charismatic personality, her strong political career, and her courage to stand up against the military regime in an effort to restore democracy. She is an ideal for many a woman in Pakistan who aspire to be strong but the fate of such bold women, who lead a population of about 180 million people most of whom are socialized to regard male dominance and heterosexuality prestigious, is volatile as it could get. It is therefore a hard choice between either a volatile and unpredictable future or conformity to regular social patterns for women like her but the ones who choose to sacrifice , know no boundaries. There are many women who are strong and career oriented and excel in academics and professional life alike in Pakistan but there are only a very few who have the courage to stand up for the people and their land. Not that she has been a perfect politician in the country but her courage, charisma, self confidence, leadership qualities, and command on the skills of rhetoric remain unparalleled still. During one of her interviews she is heard crediting her father for raising her up to be strong and educated unlike most girls in her ancestral village Larkana. Her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto himself was a legendary Pakistani politician who was famous for his self confidence, intelligence, and communication skills not just in Pakistan but around the globe. If all Pakistani fathers raise their daughters like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did then it wouldn't be long before we have a country full of women like Benazir Bhutto taking a leading role in their own lives as well as for the lives of others. There is a 'Benazir' -which literally means exemplary, hidden in every woman everywhere around the globe; to help unfold it is our job. Men , not just women , need to understand the need to give a fair share of power and respect to women so that they too become strong and active members of the society.
Attached below is a short documentary on Benazir Bhutto that you might find interesting:
The Muslim's World's first woman Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a Harvard and Oxford graduate, is one of the world's most renowned political personalities. She remained in political power as the Prime Minister of Pakistan twice.She is well known for her charismatic personality, her strong political career, and her courage to stand up against the military regime in an effort to restore democracy. She is an ideal for many a woman in Pakistan who aspire to be strong but the fate of such bold women, who lead a population of about 180 million people most of whom are socialized to regard male dominance and heterosexuality prestigious, is volatile as it could get. It is therefore a hard choice between either a volatile and unpredictable future or conformity to regular social patterns for women like her but the ones who choose to sacrifice , know no boundaries. There are many women who are strong and career oriented and excel in academics and professional life alike in Pakistan but there are only a very few who have the courage to stand up for the people and their land. Not that she has been a perfect politician in the country but her courage, charisma, self confidence, leadership qualities, and command on the skills of rhetoric remain unparalleled still. During one of her interviews she is heard crediting her father for raising her up to be strong and educated unlike most girls in her ancestral village Larkana. Her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto himself was a legendary Pakistani politician who was famous for his self confidence, intelligence, and communication skills not just in Pakistan but around the globe. If all Pakistani fathers raise their daughters like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did then it wouldn't be long before we have a country full of women like Benazir Bhutto taking a leading role in their own lives as well as for the lives of others. There is a 'Benazir' -which literally means exemplary, hidden in every woman everywhere around the globe; to help unfold it is our job. Men , not just women , need to understand the need to give a fair share of power and respect to women so that they too become strong and active members of the society.
Attached below is a short documentary on Benazir Bhutto that you might find interesting:
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