Riots Not Diets

Stitched by: NWA

Pattern designed by: NWA

We live in a world that bombards us with information (propaganda?) about what we should and shouldn’t eat, and much of this is targeted at women. Almost every woman I know has been on at least one (if not dozens of) diet in her life, has never felt great about her body, is always worried about putting on weight, and pays large attention to her body and how it appears to others. It’s interesting, for example, how many memes are currently doing the rounds on social media about weight-gain during COVID-19 ‘lockdown’, and how many of the (re)postings are by women. Feminists have long been critical of this emphasis on women’s appearance and the ways in which constant self-scrutiny takes women’s attention away from other things, undermines our sense of self, and reduces us to objects to be looked at. If young women were more encouraged to be politically active, and less encouraged to focus on their weight, the world just might be a better place. I, for one, would certainly be happier!