Inequality among women is deeply rooted by Western ideals of appearance. Body size and skin color, among other physical features, have been a cause for oppression within the feminist movement, which has clearly been a hindrance. The media continues to do more harm than good when it comes to promoting equality among women, especially sources directed towards adolescents. “When it comes to body image, teen magazines send a convoluted message,” says Anastasia Higginbotham in “Teen Mags: How to get a Guy, Drop 20 Pounds, and Lose Your Self-Esteem” (88). “Girls are encouraged to love their bodies, no matter what they look like, by magazines with fashion spreads featuring only stick-thin, flawless- faced white models in expensive outfits. Granted, there is that one light-skinned black girl in every fashion layout. But she’s just as thin as the white girl standing next to her, and that white girl is always there- like a chaperone.” With such outright discrimination presented in influential media outlets, it is no wonder that there has been little to no change in the racial tension experienced among women. Race is the chief cause for inequality when it comes to reproductive rights, one of the primary components of feminism. In order for there to be any change, the extreme cases of discrimination must be noticed by the public. Racial discrimination with regard to reproductive health and rights must be disclosed and revealed to the public through novel and independent media outlets to combat the imperialistic ideals upheld by the mainstream media. It is not correct to allow people to think that if you look a certain way (potentially “beautiful” according to western standards), you are subject to more rights.
The first step to combat racism in the realm of reproductive health is to develop a strong argument, which means to conduct research and have concrete facts. Shocking realities have been uncovered by feminist authors, and the public needs to be informed of them. If mainstream media outlet will not support this, other methods of conveying the information must be explored.
Transnational women have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to reproductive health care in the United States. What is most shocking is the fact that there is “little information available about the reproductive needs of women of color” to begin with (363). In “Reproductive Laws, Women of Color and Low-Income Women,” Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson says that “in general, the demographic data about non-Caucasian women are clustered together under the heading “nonwhite: as if here were only two racial groups, white and non-white.” Because of the “dichotomization,” there is very limited understanding about experiences of specific racial groups. Genetic differences among the various racial groups will call for different complications and reactions to specific treatments. Since the data is unfortunately pooled together, “It is difficult to define and address particular problems and to make recommendations for their solutions.” The United States have been home to people of several different races for a substantial amount of time. It is not politically correct to completely disregard the racial diversity among the female population, along with their genetic differences and stick them all into a “non-white” category.
Sterilization abuse, something that is fairly common for multiracial women, must be publicized as well. While it does not immediately seem as such, forcibly sterilizing a woman is a form of “ethnic cleansing.” In “Reproductive Rights,” Angela Davis says that “compulsory sterilization has been used as a means of eliminating the ‘unfit’ sectors of the population” (110). Sterilization abuse has primarily affected “Puerto Rican, Black, Chicana and Native American women” (112). They have a right to live in the United States, and they are by no means “unfit” members of the population. This important issue must be given more attention by the media, so that politicians take notice and legal policies are finally established against sterilization abuse.
-Lavanya Gupta
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