FATIMA MERNISSI

Framing youth as beauty and condemning maturity is the weapon used against women in the West just as limited access to public space is the weapon used in the East

Abstract

The article covers an experience that Fatima went through when shopping for a skirt. It was here that she realized than women are under immense pressure to maintain an unrealistic physique based on the pressures of the media and the dictate of the fashion industry. This is not right and should be considered unethical, as it tempts men and women to strive painfully to look like what the fashion industry wants them to look like, which is unrealistic and not feasible.

The evaluation of the writings of Fatima Mernissi

Introduction

In absolute terms, beauty is a feature of anything, from a person, place, idea, object or an animal that elicits an experience of happiness or pleasure. In western culture "ideal beauty" is an entity which people admire, or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a culture, for perfection (Martin, 2007).

Is she correct?

Although Fatima Mernissi has had an unpleasant experience and may appear to be reacting to these experiences, it would be wrong to assume that all that she said is wrong, or not relevant. Being a strong women, and not able to find a dress for her size may be offensive, but also highlights the issue of women who are under the influence to maintain an unrealistic figure to attract or appear likable to men. This has sprung multibillion dollar industries which feed on this obsession of females' thruster upon them by the fashion and media world. The dieting industry stands at a massive 33 billion dollar worth followed by the cosmetic industry at a staggering 20 billion dollar, proving the mindset fostered in the west.

As bad as she claims

She highlights the concern of women in the fashion industry who would lose their jobs if they do not maintain their reduced body weight, and skinny figure just to be deemed good by the society. The Barbie doll concept brought the idea of the correct figure to entice women, who try and look like the doll. This was promoting the tendency to buy latest fashionable products, and look skinny and have an unrealistic figure as portrait by the doll. Considering all these factors, the writings of Ms. Fatima are logical and may have strong foundations. It is this pressure to be slim, and ...