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Wear a hazmat suit 24/7, it’s the only way to be a good mom

Double standard exists when it comes to women’s bodies…and men’s
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By Amelia Naismith The Pipestone Flyer

I’m not generally one who places a lot of weight on celebrity news, as whatever so-and-so wore to the awards or what they ate for lunch is not earth shattering information. But I stumbled across something the other day that ought to be addressed; it affects hundreds of thousands of women across the world.

If a woman chooses to post of photo of herself on a seemingly private balcony on social media of her in a bodysuit showing the length of her legs, the shape of her body and nothing inappropriate I don’t think that makes her a harlot or a bad role for her children.

Yet that is the kind of backlash Jenna Dewan Tatum experienced after posting such a photo.

Women have been made to apologize for having bodies almost from the day of their birth. Mom-shaming on these grounds is blatant sexism.

Had it been the father sitting out on the balcony in shorts and no shirt, showing as much skin if not more, mo one would be accusing him of being a bad role model for his children; because men’s bodies are seen as bodies while women’s are seen either as objects for the consumption of others or something that must not be seen in any great length at all.

What’s especially disconcerting is in many cases, such as these, the women forced to defend their actions often come under attack from other women, as well as men. Those displaying a complete lack of sensitivity are the ones sending the wrong message to children, both boys and girls.

It says girls are public property where any stranger on the internet is entitled to dictate how they must present themselves in order to stay in proper, feminine moral standing.

When it comes to real estate there is a saying about how location is everything. When if comes to body shaming of women the same is also true.

On beaches no one would have thought twice about seeing a woman, especially one who meets the standardized, Hollywood version of beauty, in revealing clothing.

Now there is a time and a place for everything, but when a woman holds a confidence in her body for her own satisfaction rarely is it readily accepted than if she is sharing that body in public for the consumption of others.

Now what kind of message does that send to the children?

Amelia Naismith is the reporter for The Pipestone Flyer. She writes a regular column for the paper.

amelia.naismith@pipestoneflyer.ca