International Women’s Day: What it means to be a plus size woman in 2021

We are three months into 2021 and many have already started to lose grip on their new yearrsquos resolution Thatrsquos probably because in order to achieve the resolution more often than not we tend to choose a path that leads to the feeling of inadequacy From this feeling of inadequacy arises the need to shame others and ourselves What if we made resolutions that made us kinder and more accepting of ourselves and othersWe are living in an era of resistance and inclusivity is an integral part of any movement that leads to a social change However India as a country is still far behind when it comes to accepting people with big bodies It is particularly difficult for women because the body shaming gets harsher when coupled with sexismThe third wave of the body positivity movement started in 2012 and social media has played a crucial role in giving exposure to people with different shapes and sizes But it has also bred a collective of ldquowokerdquo individuals who in a bid to appear inclusive try to internalize their regression In this process they say some of the most problematic things which only establish the fact that we as a country are not even remotely close to being inclusive Not to mention representation of plus size women is still almost zero in Television and Cinema And we are still extremely obsessed with toxic beauty standards meant to create hegemonyOn the occasion of International Womenrsquos Day two of the most outspoken and celebrated plus size women of the country talked to midday online about how we are still trailing behind and what needs to changeBollywood choreographer and judge of Dance Plus Season 5 Karishma Chavan has been very vocal about her struggles to be accepted in the industry While a lot has changed from her initial days as a dancer much more needs to be done to make people more accepting of different body types she says She also says ldquoit is important that women be kinder to their own bodies and stand up for themselves Becoming a person of your own is an individualistic processrdquoView this post on InstagramA post shared by KARISHMA CHAVAN karishmachavanShe adds ldquoIt is difficult and the transition will not occur overnight but the process of understanding that our external does not define our entire personality is worth going throughrdquoTalking about her own experiences she reveals that she has been called names by famous dancers and choreographers but she has been fiercely calling them out from the very beginning She has been typecast and offered stereotypical roles Not just that she was labeled unfit and many offered her unsolicited advice However she made it a point wake up every morning and condition herself to like her body Eventually she says the days you feel confident about yourself will overpower the days of insecuritiesAce Instagram blogger and a trailblazer of the body positivity movement in India Tanvi Geetha Ravishakar thechubbytwirler also discusses the importance of a conducive environment for a plus size woman to feel safe in her own body She says ldquoeven though we live in a progressive time nothing much has changed in the professional frontrdquo She adds that she has been ldquosubjected to vicious trolling as soon as my content started going viral There is another group of people who havenrsquot changed but have gone quiet because I am so vocal about the causerdquo She also points out that oversexualising plus size woman in order to come across as progressive also proves the fact that we are getting it all wrongView this post on InstagramA post shared by Tanvi Geetha Ravishankar thechubbytwirlerFashion brands and award shows only promote the idea of inclusivity but end of doing tokenism and mere lip service says Tanvi While she is a vocal advocate of fat acceptance and body positivity she says influencers celebrities who claim to be the changemakers arenrsquot fully aware of the nuances of this movement and end up saying things that push toxic beauty standards and pressure women in eventually fitting in the stereotypical box of beautyShe is a firm believer of the fact that change will happen through social media TV and cinema and therefore representatives of these mediums have to be aggressively vocal about the cause However we are far from the goal she addsAs someone who believes in a holistic change and a collective approach to addressing the issue of body shaming Tanvi says it is time that influencers start reading up and understanding the minute details of the body positivity movement and not commodify it She says a change in Indian Cinema or TV might not occur through this generation but social media has the power to make this movement reach its destination and that can only happen through knowledge