Love Your Body:
On Campus, In Community
Take actions in your community, school or on your campus!
Tired of being accosted by fliers using scantily clad women to promote weekend parties? Do the sexist ads in your local paper make it difficult for you to even want to read the paper? Organize a picket or start a petition drive on your campus or at the headquarters of publications that promote offensive images of women and girls.
Girlcott the usual Friday-night soiree and make it a movie night instead. Show a movie that exemplifies women who are comfortable in their own bodies.
Be proactive! Find a local T-shirt vendors who sells shirts made in the USA. Create T-shirts with messages on them that uplift body-esteem for yourself and all the people you meet. Some ideas for some sayings are: "My Sum Is Greater Than My Parts," "I am Not my Hair," "Real Women have Curves," and of course "Love Your Body." Or buy "This is what Barbie OUGHT to Look Like" from the NOW online store! Hand out flyers about the Love Your Body campaign to people who ask questions about the t-shirt message.
Host a forum on women's health issues with student health physicians or local doctors in your community. Invite them to your community center, YWCA, high school or campus to talk about what good health means for women's bodies. Check out the health issue fact sheets on the NOW Foundation website.
Hold a LYBD fashion show! Get local shops and stores involved. Whether you're styling in cultural dress, after-five attire, or weekend garb, embrace the lovely shapes and shades women come in. Include healthy body information in the program book, have the moderator of the show offer good health tips and body image campaign ideas between models.
Each one, teach one. With a group of friends from campus, or your neighbors, arrange to mentor a group of younger girls (Girl Scout troop, junior high class, etc.) to talk about body image and work together on a project like the Love Your Body poster contest or on deconstructing ads and articles in magazines. Pose questions to the group about healthy body image.
Local eateries not meeting your standards? Stuff the suggestion box with suggestions for better choices or ask for a meeting with the manager to talk about how food choices affect our bodies. On a college campus? Compile a list of healthy foods you would like to see in the on-campus dining facilities. Attend a student government meeting to advocate for your suggestions.
How are women described in the campus press? Do they usually reference their hair, clothing, or aggressive behavior while men are strong, confident and intelligent? Submit a letter to the campus newspaper about negative images of women in the media and the Love Your Body campaign.
Organize a rally to create awareness of body image issues. Have a festival—good music, good food, free services and information! Ask local businesses to donate bags and balloons imprinted with the Love Your Body logo or slogan (Every day is Love Your Body Day!), play games, dance, do yoga, celebrate!
Display Love Your Body posters everywhere!
Send us your ideas for other things to do at your college
campus!
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