JOIN THE Women WHO Broke THE Bridal BEAUTY RULES

WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXPECTED BY SOCIETY TO CONFORM TO CERTAIN NORMS OF BEAUTY, AND NEVER MORE SO THAN WHEN LOOKING TO MARRY. IT’S TIME WE DID AWAY WITH THESE STEREOTYPES. TIME WE EMBRACED OURSELVES AS WE ARE. TIME WE WORKED WITH DOVE’S #STOPTHEBEAUTYTEST TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE WE CAN BE BEAUTIFUL, CONFIDENT AND EMPOWERED THE WAY WE ARE

- TANYA MEHTA

THE SEARCH FOR BEAUTY CAN OFTEN BE UGLY AND DEMEANING. A RECENTLY-CONDUCTED SURVEY REVEALS SOME UNSETTLING STATISTICS ABOUT THE PRESSURES AND ANXIETIES AROUND CONFORMING TO THIS NARROW DEFINITION OF BEAUTY IN THE RUN-UP TO MARRIAGE. AN ALARMING 9 OUT OF 10 SINGLE WOMEN IN INDIA FEEL THAT THEY ARE JUDGED BASED ON THEIR LOOKS DURING THE MATCHMAKING PROCESS. THESE UNPLEASANT INCIDENTS ARE BOUND TO SHATTER ANY YOUNG WOMAN’S SELF-ESTEEM AND BODY CONFIDENCE. THE PRESSURE TO ADHERE TO A SINGULAR VISION OF BEAUTY IS INTENSE. WITH AN AIM TO END THIS #BEAUTYTEST, WE SPOTLIGHT THE PERSONAL JOURNEYS OF FIVE WOMEN WHO HAVE FACED BEAUTY BIASES ON THE BASIS OF BODY TYPE, SKIN COLOUR, HEIGHT, SCARS, AND HAIR TYPE AS THEY SHARE NARRATIVES OF HOW THEY’VE RISEN ABOVE THESE AND LOVE THE SKIN THEY ARE IN.

DEEKSHA SINGH, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh