Hi darlings,
You have probably seen it in magazines, on your Instagram feed and on Twitter and thought why the hell are girls taking pictures with their bits hanging out? Well I am not ashamed to admit that I had the same thought and even went further to brand them in my head as indecent. However, I did what I should have done in the beginning which is not judge and research further into the campaign and discover what it is really about.
I felt so foolish afterwards because I was condemning a movement of empowerment, of freedom and of equality because I was brainwashed by societies chauvinistic beliefs and I did not even realise it. The free the nipple campaign is a campaign that seeks social equality of women in the most fundamental way. All women and men have nipples, it is a primary constituent of our physiological structure but for some reason when it is on the female anatomy it is alright to be sexualised- no it isn't! Women around the world are not allowed to breastfeed their children because it is "indecent" but men can take their shirts off and walk around without being accused of indecent behaviour. Women around the world are raped by men and more often than not the first question is "what were you wearing?" Inferring that women are ultimately objects of sexual gratification and this behaviour is acceptable - well, newsflash it is not!
I felt so foolish afterwards because I was condemning a movement of empowerment, of freedom and of equality because I was brainwashed by societies chauvinistic beliefs and I did not even realise it. The free the nipple campaign is a campaign that seeks social equality of women in the most fundamental way. All women and men have nipples, it is a primary constituent of our physiological structure but for some reason when it is on the female anatomy it is alright to be sexualised- no it isn't! Women around the world are not allowed to breastfeed their children because it is "indecent" but men can take their shirts off and walk around without being accused of indecent behaviour. Women around the world are raped by men and more often than not the first question is "what were you wearing?" Inferring that women are ultimately objects of sexual gratification and this behaviour is acceptable - well, newsflash it is not!
The free the nipple campaign portrays the core ideas of feminism because it asks for the objectification of women to be put to an end. We may be in a more progressive society now where most women are payed equally but until every straight man is able to look at a woman breast feeding her child and not think it inappropriate, for every judge in every country to look at a woman who has been violated and not blame it on her being provocative but give the right punishment to the offender. Only then will we have reached a place of equality where we will all be judged by the content of our character not for our chest. So next time you see #freethenipple anywhere around you share it with your friends,family and even people you don't know (too far?) share the word of freedom and equality and free the damn nipple!
#endpreach
Stay beautiful because you can, Jasmine x
Stay beautiful because you can, Jasmine x
