Before women go out of their homes in Zimbabwe fear of body shaming lurk at the back of their minds. Society has become a jungle where misguided citizens have given themselves the role of judging other people’s appearances in order to pass comments.
Identities Umhlobo Zvatiri television show set on a journey to find out how deep this scourge is in Zimbabwe.
Talking to Nyari Mashayamombe on the Identities Umhlobo TV Show, guests revealed that people especially men, may take it lightly when throwing insults and hurtful comments at someone based on their bodily appearance but the damaged caused by those insults is beyond anybody’s imagination.
Some people comment without even considering that some physical appearances are due to medical reasons. For instance some people suffer from obesity while others suffering from heart diseases or diabetes altering their physical appearance. Therefore, it is not only rude to comment negatively about someone being overweight or underweight, but also responsible and inconsiderate.
In the streets there are people who give others (especially women) names because of the way they look or the way they are dressed. Many agonise over such insulting behavior.
“Having big breasts has caused me to have negative comments fired at me. If l show cleavage, they say I am showing too much skin. If l cover them completely they say l don’t know how to dress as a youngster,” according to Hope Marozva an activist.
Not all comments are said with the intention to crush others, but they can have such unintended consequences.
According to another student, a friend’s comment made her alter her appearance by eating less in an attempt to loose some weight, she has also resorted to wearing baggy clothes so that people cannot see how fat she is.
Not only fat people suffer from being shamed, but also those who are underweight suffer too.
Nyasha Manyengavana, a student said that being slim have made her to wear flared clothes because if she wears tights and trousers someone will tell her that it is not suitable for thin people like her.
This has caused negative impact on her as she now has body perception issues.
Hope urged people to note that every person is different and that each person is unique in his or her own way and should be tolerated.
In advising women no how to deal with societal pressures, she says women should have self love and acceptance which will cause them to resist and ignore hurtful opinions about their bodies citing that, answering such people will fuel their insults.
As a young woman, Nyasha was of the opinion that society should desist from passing negative comments because it has caused some people to have eating disorder, loose confidence and have self hurt.
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