A woman's journey with herself.

Last night was the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on CBS. The hour-long show featured all of the brand's most well-known models as they "set the tone for what is sexy this winter." Beautiful, thin women strutted their stuff in expensive lingerie and some variation of wings to bumping music and rounds of applause.

I personally love the brand and the quality of clothing that it makes. Of course, for any woman who does not resemble these models, the show can be a bittersweet experience as I realized that my body may not be in the shape I'd prefer it to be, especially following the carb-loading Thanksgiving break.

There has been talk for years about this sort of advertising and the effects on females' body images. As Cultivation Theory suggests, the exposure to these images over time start to shape the viewer's view of reality -- in other words, women have been exposed to these type of "perfect" women through media and begin to believe that this is what they should look like. It also does not help when men reinforce this kind of thinking. Consider this Facebook status I saw last night when I logged on:

"to all the women i know out there. can you please lose some weight, go to the gym, get some plastic surgery or say a prayer so that you can look like these models. just saying.."

As expected, guys liked the status and agreed, girls commented with sad faces and less-than-friendly words. His dad also wrote "...........Wow........I don't remember dropping him on his head!"

While this may have been intended to be a joke, or a desperate plea for attention, I think it's important for both women and men to not overemphasize the importance of having a body type that less than 1% of women have. If you watch the fashion show with  an entertainment mindset and understand that these models have made this a career for a reason, I don't feel there is anything wrong with this sort of TV special.

Take a look for yourself.

A Woman's Informational Journey through Rape

Rape. One of the major concerns of parents when sending their young teenage daughter off to college. But it’s not only young women who are at risk for being raped. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and college age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape and 9 out of every 10 rapes are female. After being raped what will happen to you? You’re more likely to become depressed, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, abuse drugs and alcohol, and commit suicide. Not to mention what will you do if you become pregnant? All of these questions are something that women who have been sexually assaulted have to think about and live with everyday. Approximately 73% of victims know their rapists. Think about it.

There is nothing you can do to completely prevent being raped, but there are preventative measures that every woman can take to hopefully keep herself just a bit safer.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Knowing where you are and who is around you may help you to find a way to get out of a bad situation.
• Try to avoid isolated areas. It is more difficult to get help if no one is around.
• Walk with purpose. Even if you don’t know where you are going, act like you do.
• Trust your instincts. If a situation or location feels unsafe or uncomfortable, it probably isn’t the best place to be.
• Try not to load yourself down with packages or bags as this can make you appear more vulnerable.
• Make sure your cell phone is with you and charged and that you have cab money.
• Don't allow yourself to be isolated with someone you don’t trust or someone you don’t know.
• Avoid putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you are walking alone.  (Rainn 2010)

For more information, visit Rainn's Website

A Woman's Journey...With Others

As I began researching organizations that aim to empower women, I stumbled across a non-profit known as Sisters4Sisters, Inc. The Maryland-based organization, just over 10 years old, has the following mission:

"The empowerment of women and girls is achieved through enlightening workshops on personal and professional development along with engaging community outreach in the areas which greatly impact women including HIV-AIDS awareness, domestic violence, homelessness, young girl mentoring, health and wellness."

As I clicked around the website, I was surprised by the number of resources and opportunities available for women. The organization offers:

• monthly domestic violence workshops
• Saving Our Sisters campaign: dedicated to providing "essential information, resources and testing along with education on the rise of HIV-AIDS among women and girls
• Daughters of Destiny: a young girls and teens mentorship program "dedicated to creating healthy self-esteem and wellness for youth...while promoting girl power!"

There are also community campaigns such as:

• Adopt a Sister in Iraq which provides letters and care packages to women fighting overseas
• The Harriet Tubman Project which assists women in homeless shelters by providing necessities as well as career development services

I am so impressed by the variety of resources this organization provides about a variety of topics including health and self-esteem issues. I think other communities could benefit from implementing a program that aims to enlighten women and girls. Click here to visit the Sisters4Sisters website and learn more about the work these women are doing in their community.