Love Your Body Day Celebration

As part of this project, I held a Love Your Body Day Celebration in conjunction with my monthly Women Who Wine meeting. Women Who Wine is a non-profit organization with the mission of social networking with a cause. Each month Winers, and their guests, get together, eat food, drink wine and learn about a non-profit in the Gallatin Valley (Montana). We all donate $5 per month plus either $100 annually or 20 hours of community service annually.

October's WWW meeting fell just 1 day after the official NOW Love Your Body Day. And since our non-profit of the evening was a new preschool for children with disabilities, it was a good fit to celebrate our own bodies and what they can do for us. After the non-profit presentation we separated into 4 circles, the group was too big this night for just one, to share a little about ourselves and what makes us feel good about our bodies. I set the stage by sharing with the entire group, before we split up, what I love about my body - that it's strong and allows me to be active in doing the things I love - hiking, skiing and playing. Once we split up, the circles flowed fast. Antecdotally, I heard women say that a good workout, a great new pair of jeans, girlfriends who support them and the ability to carry and birth a child were some of the things they loved about their bodies or makes them feel good about their bodies. Below are pictures of the circles.



Also, throughout the meeting, I had three posters up where the women would answer three questions from NOW's love your body day quiz. Here are the questions and answers:

1. What advertisement, TV show, movie, trend or product most annoys you in its treatment of women's and/or girls' bodies?
a. High Fashion Ads
b. Sarah Palin
c. Victoria’s Secret (had a check next to it)
d. Paris Hilton
e. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
f. Thongs that are on display & two inches of cleavage in high school.
g. No older actresses in movies
h. Cheerleaders at sports events
i. Words printed on the butt of shorts, pants, etc.
j. Nair (Hair removal –old ones)
k. Size changes in clothes (i.e. size 12 40 years ago vs size 12 now)
l. Botox!!! & Collagen injections!!!
m. Plastic Surgery ☹
n. TrueBlood

2. Do you think that images of women/girls in the media have a direct result on how women/girls feel about and take care of themselves?
a. Absolutely - 16
b. Somewhat - 0
c. No - 0

3. What misconception of how women/girls are "supposed" to look would you most like to see disappear forever?
a. Skinny no curves ☹
b. Model Perfect (checked and an ‘I agree’! next to it)
c. Youth
d. Skinny
e. Big Boobs
f. Lipo!
g. Nice Clothes
h. Women portrayed in business stereotypically
i. Tan ☹
j. Wrinkles – you’re supposed to have them when you get older

Below are pictures of how the set up looked when we started and how it looked at the end of the night. Not all women participated in this part but I think a good number did.




All in all, it got women talking and thinking about how the media forces the idea of an ideal body onto them, denying what they would naturally be. And how women conform to these things meanwhile doing irreparable damage to their bodies and their souls.

Cali Morrison