Student Argues That Women Should Grow out Body Hair to ‘rival’ Movember

Campus Reform: Women at George Washington University (GW) should stop shaving during the month of November in the name of gender equality one student said last week.

In a column in The Hatchet, Jonah Lewis urged GW women to start a new movement that would parallel Movember by ceasing to shave in order to raise money for women’s health issues. The student argued that the women’s campaign could “one day rival what men raise during Movember.”

“If women at GW decided not to shave for the entirety of this month to raise money for women’s health issues and promote body positivity, the initiative could grow into a movement matching Movember,” Lewis wrote. “It would open up conversations about how our culture expects women to treat their bodies and their body hair.”

“For women, growing out hair is an unexpected and daring risk. That makes not shaving an exercise in body positivity and self love for most women,” Lewis continued.

The Lewis argued that a number of women’s health issues including menopause, reproductive health, cervical cancer, and breast cancer are not given enough attention and would benefit from this source of fundraising.

Amanda Robbins, a junior at GW and president of the school’s chapter of the Network of Enlightened Women said that there are other ways for people to raise awareness and money for women.

“This idea is completely unfeasible and is a reflection of radical feminism run amuck on campus. It is doubtful that GW women would agree to go without shaving for a month much less a week,” Robbins told Campus Reform in an email.

A spokesman for the American Cancer Society recently confirmed that a number of women were indeed participating in Movember by “letting it grow.”

For decades many feminists have argued that the pressure for women to remove body hair is a consequence of patriarchal dominance.

“Body hair, weight, Barbie, domestic violence, violence against women, male gaze, street harassment, to me it all feels connected,” a New York feminist said in February, according to Salon.

“To me, hair removal is a kind of violence against women. Just one that we’re tricked into doing and paying for ourselves,” she continued.

Women’s health issues are not given enough attention? They need to mark these events on their calendars:

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Cervical Cancer Screening Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• National Wear Red Day: Women and Heart Disease Prevention
• National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
• National Endometriosis Awareness Month
• Women’s History Month
• National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
• Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• National Infertility Awareness Week
• National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
• National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
• Preeclampsia Awareness Month
• National Women’s Check-Up Day
• National Women’s Health Week
• National Breastfeeding Month
• National Girlfriends Day
• World Breastfeeding Week
• National Women’s Health and Fitness Day™
• National Mammography Day
• National Family Caregivers Month

And lest the feminists forget, you can stand for women’s reproductive rights, contribute to raising funds, and celebrate Mother’s Day with Planned Parenthood!

DCG