'Worth The Portrait': Indian Women In Sweden Challenge Unrealistic Beauty Standards Of Society

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Margaret Wolfe Hungerford once said, "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder."

There is no ounce of doubt that most women abide by this, men too. After all, beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colour. But the society we live in often criticises women for their physical appearances.

According to the society, in order to look beautiful, a woman needs perfect curves and an attractive figure, else you will become the victim of body shaming.

Women who are blessed with plus sized body are often told to get back in shape, because society have fixed beauty standards for women. For these woen, thinking about that cheese burst pizza is no less than a sin. On the other hand, if you are skinny, you will be often advised by people around you to have more food. And all of this so that men can like you or take interest in you. Yes, it sounds stupid but it is true.

Over the years, society has made us believe women who do not have a perfect physical appearance (as per society's standards) are not beautiful and that is cruel to say the least. This belief system not only hinderrs the psychological growth of a women but teaches her how to grow in shame.

Also read: International Women's Day: 10 Ways In Which Women Can Celebrate This Day

In a positive attempt to make people realise that a perfect body isn't necessary to look beautiful, The Indian Women Association (IWA) in Gothenburg, Sweden organised a photoshoot event under the 'Worth The Portrait' theme.

IWA is a non-profit group aimed at connecting the women from India who moved to Gothenburg, Sweden. This social group often organises various events for Indian women with the intention of empowering them and spreading the Indian culture.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Boldsky got in touch with the inspiring and wonderful ladies who participated in the event and asked them about the society's obession with physical beauty, especially when it comes to women.

The event was organised on 3 March 2020 with an intention to convey a message that one doesn't need a modeling figure or a body shape to look beautiful. It is the smile that makes a woman and her portrait beautiful. Since the event was intended for photoshoot of Indian women, it was based on 'first come first serve'. A total of 60 lovely women participated in the event that was organised ahead of International Women's Day which falls on 8 March every year.

Vanitha Sukavanesh, the founder of the Indian Women's Association in Gothenburg, told Boldsky, "Being a female is a blessing and we women should carry ourselves with grace. Instead of expecting people to make us feel beautiful, we need to acknowledge our inner beauty. This is because we are beautiful in our way and we do not need someone to approve our beauty."

Speaking more about the event, Vanitha told, "All women are worth a beautiful portrait, that's the theme we executed we are 'Worth the Portrait'.

One can see gorgeous women dressed up confidently in mesmerising attires and expressing themselves elegantly.

45-years-old Preetha Venkat who is a Software Engineer by profession, shared her views on body-shaming with Boldsky, "Every woman is beautiful in her own way. I promote body positivity and I'm against the stigma which is widespread in our society that has made us believe that size zero matters. However one needs to understand that beauty can't be measured but felt."

Swapnal Hardikar, a 40-years-old entrepreneur recited a beautiful poem,
"Every woman is different,
every woman is unique,
every woman is beautiful,
every woman is strong.
In her own element, every woman is complete!"

Preetha also shared her experience about the event with Boldsky, "It was a delightful event organized by Indian Women in Gothenburg and I was happy to be a part of it. I sincerely thank the organizer Vanitha and the man behind the camera Rahul for taking it to new heights."

"All the women who participated had a great experience in knowing each other and appreciating one another during the event. I am looking forward to more such events. I wish more women to participate in upcoming events and spread more positivity to the world around us," added Preetha.

Swapnal too thanks to the event organiser and the association for giving them such a nice experience.

Rahul Masane (36), the man behind the camera, too shared his views with Boldsky, "Privileged to be part of the event where I can bring out the beauty of women through my lens. It was a wonderful experience as the event was really good and the environment was full of contentment and positivity."

After going through the photographs and listening to the praises by the participants, we can clearly say that beauty is no doubt in the eyes of a beholder. The smiling faces of these women give the message that one needs wear smile and happiness on their faces to look beautiful.

Wish you a Happy Women's Day!!!