Dark is Beautiful

The Issue: The toxic belief that a woman’s worth is measured by the fairness of her skin.

Women of Worth (WOW) have interacted with thousands of women and one of the key issues that has surfaced is the belief that the beauty and value of an Indian woman is determined by the fairness of her skin. This false belief,shaped by societal attitudes and reinforced by media messages, is corroding the self-worth of countless girls and women.

Our interactions have revealed that women with darker complexions:

Are often seen as the second or last option in industries that seem to set beauty norms, such as fashion, film, hospitality and services,etc.
Have been discriminated against in the workplace, and feel they have to work harder to be accepted by their peers
Have been insulted and mistreated by their own relations
Have been rejected by potential marriage partners

It’s not only women who experience the bias towards fairness. Men have similar experiences when it comes to jobs or feeling attractive.

The Goal: To engage the city in discussion to challenge and change attitudes

WOW, in association with the British Council, is developing a multi-faceted media campaign called “Dark Is Beautiful”to be culminated during the week of International Women’s Day in March2009. The campaign will:

1. Seek to bring attention to skin colour bias and its toxic effects on our society and

2. Challenge our city to think positively about every skin tone and esteem all people based on their innate value.

The Plan: To use art, story, music and interactive programmes

Join us as we discover ‘Beauty Beyond Colour”

Take our online survey!