On Thursday, as part of Mental Health Week, Dublin University Gender Equality Society (DUGES) launched its sub-group, DUGES Nourishes. In its inaugural event, DUGES Nourishes put on a body image discussion group, in which the organisers sought to provide a safe space for anyone suffering with body issues. The group attempted to focus on the positive aspects of the issue, and a set of ground rules ensured that there was no body shaming or discussing unhealthy behaviour in the group.
While it is often very difficult to launch into sensitive discussions with a group of strangers, the committee was excellent at breaking the ice and making everyone feel at ease and welcome within the group. The conversation started with each person reading out a quote that had been prepared by the committee. The quotes were varied, ranging from the serious to the silly, and all focused on a different aspect of body positivity. While some focused on the fact that no food is “better” than another, others encouraged loving your body for the sole reason that it is the form that keeps you alive. The group was then asked to produce visual and creative responses on a piece of paper, and everything from crayons to glitter was provided. The results were varied, with origami, poetry and drawings all being produced.
Following this, the discussion turned towards the #iweigh movement: an Instagram hashtag that encourages people to “weigh” themselves in everything from their characteristics, hobbies, sexualities, familial relationships and Hogwarts Houses instead of their body-weights. The movement originated with an Instagram account run by the actress Jameela Jamil, who was angered by the fact that she believed women were taught to value themselves only “in kilograms”. Now she hopes her Instagram account will encourage her 176,000 followers to “look beyond the flesh on our bones”. After examining the page together, we were all encouraged to create our own #iweigh posters and the discussion followed from there.
Not only was the event extremely thought-provoking and positive, but the emphasis on discussion and creativity also ensured that it was a relaxing break from a busy day in college. It is a clear testament to the success of the event that despite officially ending at 5pm, the event held on to many of those who had attended for a further half hour.
DUGES Nourishes has plans to introduce a book club, in which the first book to be discussed will be The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor. The book encourages people to understand that we have been “indoctrinated” into having body shame and seeks to dismantle this shame through self-love and compassion. The committee is also hoping to put on weekly events, and they are open to any suggestions for future topics and activities that people would enjoy.
