Can Dark Be Beautiful?

Bunty and I have covered the subject of skin lightening creams before (e.g. here: Nice Tan Lines).  A new campaign has launched in India with the slogan Dark is Beautiful.  Whilst we find this rather patronising, the aim of the campaign is to drum home the message that fair skin is not the only description of beauty and that people should be happy and proud of the colour that they are… in addition, possibly, to educate other Indians to reset their prejudices.

The skin lightening industry in India is worth over a staggering $400 million and the lightening products on offer range from face creams to a fanny wash.  Fairness = beauty = success = happiness = a guaranteed place in heaven??

Campaigning Legends!

Well done to the Everyday Sexism Project – what incredible women they are.

They have won their battle against Facebook for having pages that glorify and poke fun at “hilarious” topics like “Raping Your Girlfriend Just For Fun” and another one that shows women lying in pools of blood “failing to make a sandwich”.

At first, Facebook came back with free speech arguments

US Presidential Countdown

Four years ago, Barrack Obama won the greatest ever Presidential victory known in modern history. I never believed that I would see an African American sit in the White House as President of the USA.

Memories of euphoria, of utterly disbelief and of hope filled the world. I do wonder what emotions will fill the world after this election?

Don’t Take Sweets From Strangers

Do you remember learning not to take sweets from strangers? It was taught to my sister and me in primary school. What is a stranger? A grown-up that you don’t know. Would you take a sweetie from a stranger? NO! I would go and find a grown-up that I know and shout mummy if I couldn’t see anyone I knew.  Simple.

I have to admit, I did grow up being terrified of these “strangers” with “sweeties” and the child-catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang didn’t help much.

Did you know this lesson is no longer taught to children?

Dare To Drive

Saudi Arabia will be experiencing a social revolution, on June 17th,  from women who are campaigning for their right to drive. At the centre of the promotion of the campaign is Manal Alsharif’s video of herself driving on You Tube, here seen through ScarceMedia.

The Pink Stinks Campaign

Looking around our house, every other toy is pink. Going through my daughters’ wardrobe, there is a high content of pink. The pink pages stare at me from the toy catalogues. There are pink cups, plates and bowls in the kitchen. Despite our efforts to stay away from pink, we are buried in pink stuff!!! I totally understand what British social enterprise, Pink Stinks, is going on about. Their campaign challenges the culture of pink to overhaul the gender stereotypes.