How are women beautiful

The Globe & Mail

The Real Beauty

By Jane Mundy

If beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, women around the world need to take a longer, harder look at themselves. Canadian women might want to do it twice.

More than 3,200 women in more than 10 countries were asked to define beauty in a report by beauty products maker Dove. The study, “The Real Truth About Beauty: A global report,” which analyzed female perspectives on beauty and well-being, found that less than two percent of women throughout the world thought themselves as beautiful and only one percent in Canada.

The average Canadian woman might not be especially surprised by the results of the report, but its co-author, Harvard University’s Dr. Nancy Etcoff, found them startling. “We know that women are having problems with their body image but you’d think more women would describe themselves as attractive,” she said.

Women were asked whether or not they were satisfied with how the media represents beauty. Dr. Etcoff said female respondents largely defined “beauty” as physical attractiveness, and went on to say that the media had an enormous influence on common perceptions of it. “Overwhelmingly, the media did not portray the true diversity of beauty and sets up an unrealistic vision,” Etcoff said.

The statement “I wish media could portray beauty as more than physical” was endorsed by women in every country. In Canada, women wanted the media to portray women with a variety of body shapes and weights, use ordinary women as models, and choose those models from different age groups and backgrounds rather than the stereotypical selection of young and white. Clearly, women want more realistic role models.

Although women’s views about the media’s unrealistic portrayal of beauty were unanimous, there were disparities between different countries’ respondents in terms of what constituted physical attractiveness. For example, Brazilian women put more emphasis on sexiness and 54 percent of the women there said they would consider cosmetic surgery, whereas only 23 percent of Canadians would opt for such procedures. Thirty-six percent of Canadian women used the word “natural” to describe themselves, whereas most U.S. women opted for “average.”

Women were also asked what made them feel beautiful. The good news is that 75 percent of women judge beauty as going beyond physical traits. Dr. Etcoff said, “When given the opportunity to reflect [by answering this questionnaire], women said beauty came from their inner qualities and not just from the right hairstyle.”

Women also believe they would have more opportunities in life if they were beautiful, noted Dr. Etcoff. “What kind of message is being sent when women equate success with beauty? Women don’t look at themselves as successful or have the opportunities to be successful unless they have an inner belief in themselves.”

Finally, women agreed that beauty was achievable at any age. Again, the double-edged sword: each generation faces a higher standard when it comes to beauty. Women today feel that they are expected to be more attractive than their mothers were at the same age. In other words, being over 40 is no longer an excuse to let their appearance slide.

Dr. Etcoff said this is probably why health problems such as anorexia and bulimia are on the rise across all ages. “We found that more older women are single, and women in their 40s and 50s feel pressure to be thin and look younger,” she said. “Self-esteem is a huge problem in all age groups.”

The report’s findings don’t come as news to people who spend a lot of time thinking about the challenges faced by girls. Lisa Naylor, counselor at a women’s clinic in Winnipeg, teaches young girls to be advocates for change.

“When girls learn how to be advocates and write letters to the media, they get a sense of power,” she explained.

Women’s low self-esteem when it comes to their appearance may be a classic issue, said Ms. Naylor, but it’s still valuable for members of the media to address it.

As another result of this report, the Dove Self-Esteem fund was established to help enhance young women’s self-esteem – not an easy task. “On the one hand you are supposed to support girls’ self-esteem in general, and on the other hand, the whole feminist thing is that we de-emphasize looks,” says Ms. Naylor.

She notes while society says looks are important, adults tell kids that it’s what’s inside that counts. Yet popular culture -- from music videos to TV makeover shows -- insists that for girls, looks are crucial

That dichotomy, in fact, is similar for both young girls and adults. The question is, how to best deal with it?

“The first step [toward higher self-esteem] is to reclaim a positive view of yourself and halt the quest for impossible ideals. Women aren’t going to abandon the quest for beauty but rather find a way to embrace it,” said Dr. Etcoff.

As The Real Truth About Beauty report shows, the concept of beauty is being redefined. It is becoming less physically competitive and more about inner qualities—knowing yourself and celebrating everything you’ve got. In other words, move over, makeovers— women are already beautiful.

Finally, women agreed that beauty was achievable at any age. But the report also revealed that each generation faces a higher standard when it comes to beauty. Women today feel that they are expected to be more attractive than their mothers were at the same age. In other words, being over 40 is no longer an excuse to let their appearance slide.

Etcoff said this is probably why health problems such as anorexia and bulimia are on the rise across all ages. “We found that more older women are single, and women in their 40s and 50s feel pressure to be thin and look younger,” she said. “Self-esteem is a huge problem in all age groups.”

“When girls learn how to be advocates and write letters to the media, they get a sense of power,” she explained.

Women’s low self-esteem when it comes to their appearance may be a classic issue, said Naylor, but it’s still valuable for members of the beauty industry to address it.

“Dove’s report is advocacy in action. They still want to sell their shampoo, but they are willing to respond to what women want to see in a positive way, by helping girls with eating disorders and putting money into a self-esteem fund, and showing their long-term commitment.

This is not an easy task. “On the one hand, you are supposed to support girls’ self-esteem in general, and on the other hand, the whole feminist thing is that we de-emphasize looks,” said Naylor. [.1] Adults tell kids that it’s what’s inside that’s important. But popular culture -- from music videos to TV makeover shows -- insists that for girls, looks are crucial. So it is a dichotomy for both young girls and grownup women.

Sharon Mcleod, marketing manager for Dove Canada, said the Global Report on Beauty helped her better understand women’s needs. “It is great to hear from so many women but also disappointing when more than 50 percent say their weight is too high, and 63 percent strongly feel they should enhance their attractiveness.”

Both Etcoff and Mcleod see this report as a chance to provoke discussion.

Clearly, the report has revealed snapshots of how women are feeling and thinking. The 21^st century definition of beauty is about a woman as a whole being. In other words, move over, makeovers— women are already beautiful.