Endangered Species Buenos Aires: The First Step
Follow-up article on Endangered Species Summit in Buenos Aires by Sharon Haywood
“Finally, something’s being done for us - normal women - thank you for taking on the challenge!” - Marlenne Montenegro
“At the beginning of the event I wasn't convinced but I am leaving convinced.”
- Anonymous Argentine woman
“This has never happened before in this country … from our early education we have been given physical models to follow and adhere to and each of us have incorporated [that message] but is it NOT healthy. Thanks to each of you in this group for having created a space where we can identify. Finally!” - Lu Lix
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On March 16th at the Cooperative Cultural Centre in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires, the Any-Body Buenos Aires team officially launched the Endangered Species campaign in Argentina, which featured varied presenters, short films, theatrical acts and workshops devoted to raising awareness, educating the public and challenging the existing and harmful beauty norms to which the country adheres.
Highlights included presentations from Claudia Selser, an Argentine journalist who has written extensively about the body image and eating disorder problems that plague children, teens and women throughout the country; Miriam Tawil, a Brazilian author and therapist who explored the modelling industry and how young girls in poverty are scouted and groomed to fit the supermodel mould; Jennifer Barreto-Leyva, a well-known Venezuelan plus-size model who recounted the discrimination and prejudice she has endured and overcome through activism; and Dorina Vidoni, a respected Argentine designer who reinforced the need for designers to create clothing for various types of bodies instead of having women alter their bodies to fit one standard size – skinny.
In addition to exposing the realities of the beauty myth and providing strategies to move beyond it, Especies en riesgo de extinción shone a light on the lack of fashionable clothes available for average-sized teens and women. The largest size most non-speciality stores in the capital carry is about size UK 8/10, which leaves approximately 70% of Argentine women hard-pressed to find stylish clothes that fit, despite the size laws that exist to combat the problem. Our event acted as the first step in dialoguing with both the public and the fashion industry in how to combat the problem.
Susie Orbach stated in her opening remarks at Endangered Species in London that “our aims are not modest. They are ambitious.” In Argentina, our goals have proven to be formidable. The planning involved in creating such an inspiring and educational day often made our team of five women feel like minnows in a tsunami. Many Argentine popular designers and clothing brands would not become involved without the support of an internationally recognized brand. Others feared being associated with “gorditas” or “fatties” despite our focus on the every-day Argentine woman. Average-sized women were often embarrassed to reveal that they can’t find clothes in their size. The roadblocks thrown in our path underscored the importance of presenting a healthy alternative for Argentine girls and women and we are so glad we did. During and after the event we received a wealth of positive feedback and multiple sighs of relief from women who hadn’t realized they were actually normal.
For that reason alone, we deem our event a success. Did the clothing stores we invited attend? No. Would we have liked to see more women take part in the day? Yes. Did the mainstream media outlets we formally invited show up? No. Despite the disappointments, Especies en riesgo en extinción undoubtedly made a positive impact. And the one-day event was only the beginning.
Our team has identified three clothing retailers in Buenos Aires that we believe are making substantial efforts to comply with the municipal size law: Levi’s, VER and Portsaid. In order to support these stores’ compliance with the law we are offering them a woman-friendly sticker that they can display in their store windows, which sends the message to consumers that they care about the health of Argentine women by stocking the range of sizes mandated by law. Furthermore, we recognize that our campaign requires increased visibility, thus we are in the process of planning various public and interactive events geared towards not only Argentine adolescents and women but also children and their parents.
As we move forward, our team acknowledges that realizing our objectives will be a slow and onerous task. But we are fully committed to initiating and following through with much-needed action plans necessary to release Argentine girls and women from the stronghold of the Western beauty ideal. One baby step at a time.
INTERNATIONAL DEBATE ON BEAUTY
Women: An Endangered Species? (English translation of the article from the national Argentine newspaper Clarín on March 12 "International Debate on Beauty" about Endangered Species Summit in London and Buenos Aires.)
On the 16th of March, Buenos Aires will be the headquarters of a global summit where experts will discuss image dictatorship and the need to preserve the female body.
Written by Claudia Selser (cselser@clarin.com)
One talks about seals, turtles, polar bears … Endangered species is the 20th century’s obsession along with global warming. But until now, one had not talked about women being an endangered species. Yes, women. These women are made of flesh and bone – in fact more flesh than bones – and they enjoy good food without having to think of scales, dare to put on swimming suits even though they have wrinkles and carry a bit of weight, just for the pure pleasure of basking their bodies under the sun. According to Anybody (a non-profit British organisation), women are at risk of disappearing from the planet because, even though throughout the history of humanity there has always been concern over beauty, nothing compares to the concern today, which affects six year olds up to women in their sixties. This gives way to serious consequences for physical and mental health.
“Endangered Species: Preserving the female body” is the slogan of the Summit which the NGO Anybody will carry out next Wednesday on March 16th in Buenos Aires (at the Centro Cultural de la Cooperación), as part of the campaign, which throughout the month has been happening in some of the most important cities of the world. London (March 4th), Melbourne (March 8th), New York (March 18th and 19th) and Sao Pablo (March 26th).
Buenos Aires was not picked at random. According to Sharon Haywood, one of the organisers of the Summit in Buenos Aires, there are more than enough alarming reasons why:
1) An international investigation was carried out by the interior clothing brand Triumph (published by Clarín Mujer last October), which determined that 87% of Argentine women are not happy with their bodies, the highest percentage on the planet.
2) According to Rihta (Interhospital Network of Eating Disorders), which depends on funding from the Buenos Aires Secretary of Health, Argentina is, after Japan, the country with the highest rate of bulimia and anorexia. Argentina, the report states, is triple that found in the United States. The eating disorders are seen mostly in youngsters between 14 and 20 years old, with 1 out of 10 Argentine adolescents suffering from an eating disorder.
3) According to the foundation Mujeres en Igualdad, 70% of women say that they battle to buy fashionable clothes in their size. “The central axis of the Buenos Aires Summit,” Sharon Haywood points out, “will pivot around the Size Laws which, for diverse reasons, have low compliance.”
An NGO with history
Anybody was created in 2003 by a group of women, led by British psychoanalyst and psychotherapist Susie Orbach, to increase awareness of the physical and psychic health risks for women of all ages, caused by the demand of impossible perfection. This is how Susie Orbach explains it, the author of more than ten books on this subject, the director of two health centres for women in London and New York, and the therapist who treated Lady Di’s bulimia and anorexia:
“The Endangered Species Summit is a call for urgent action to save future generations of women. In the last 30 years, pharmaceutical, diet, cosmetic surgery and style industries have imposed the ideal of the perfect body, causing women to hate their bodies, even when they might not even have left infancy. Now, not one woman can live in peace, comfortable with who she is in her real body. The idea is to make politicians, people in the fashion and health industries and all of society conscious that beauty commercialisation is putting the lives of women at risk.”
The Argentine Issue
There isn’t a woman over 50 kg who has not had this experience. Clothing sizes have been put on rigorous diet, in such a way that they do not fit real-sized women bodies. This problem is complex. Fitting into an extra small is the obsession of millions of adolescents: in order to be successful in the love market, one has to fit the smallest sizes. Girls complain about this reality, but they abide by it. Wary of the demand, many designers do not comply with the size laws sanctioned by the provinces of Buenos Aires: Santa Fe, Mendoza, Entre Rios, Cordoba and the City of Buenos Aires. Since 2009 there has been half a sanction – from delegates – supporting a national Size Law, but has not yet been debated in the Senate.
In the province of Buenos Aires, 75% of clothing brands do not respect the law passed in 2005, according the foundation Mujeres en Igualdad. In the City of Buenos Aires, the law enacted in 2009 is still unregulated, a model law which guarantees a minimum of 8 sizes – from size 36 to 50 – in both women’s wear and menswear for all ages, as well as a ticket that reflects IRAM’s norm 75.310, which disallows the size labels of S, M, L and XL, and 1, 2 and 3.
This will be the central topic tackled in the Buenos Aires Summit, where there will be international panelists, documentaries, and even a workshop where the prestigious Dorina Vidoni will teach to “design for the body”. Sign up for workshops at: www.facebook.com/especiesenriesgodeextincion.
“FOR A REAL BODY”
If she has a title, it is real beauty activist. The British psychotherapist Susie Orbach, the heart of Anybody and of all the summits being carried out in various cities, has started her battle 40 years ago with a book which caused a stir throughout the world: “Fat is a Feminist Issue”, in which, for the first time, eating disorders were analysed from a cultural perspective.
Since her first book at the end of the 70s, until the most recent “Bodies”, she has published another ten and has created two therapy centres: Women’s Therapy Centre in London (1976) and Women’s Therapy Institute of New York (1981); she was Lady Di’s therapist (a matter which she obviously does not share) for her anorexia and bulimia problems; and was co-creator of the campaigns for the beauty of real women, carried out by Dove.
Being 64 years old, a divorcee and mother of 26-year-old Lukas and 21-year-old Lianna, Susie Orbach defends the diversity of bodies in many ways. She has been working with fashion institutes for years so that the fashion industry and those responsible for modeling simply do not allow size 0 to walk down a catwalk. “It isn’t necessary to have a body like that; it’s less than real. To achieve that level of slimness, it’s likely that there is an eating disorder behind it.”
Endangered Species Women: Susie Orbach's opening remarks filmed by Elena Rossini
Endangered Species LONDON - Speech by Susie Orbach from Elena Rossini on Vimeo.
Encuentre la versión en castellano debajo del texto inglés.
Endangered Species International Summit - established by Susie Orbach and launched in London - will celebrate body diversity and challenge the culture that teaches girls and women to hate their own bodies. Events will take place around the world in March - the same month as the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day - with the main UK event to be held at London’s Southbank Centre on 4th March 2011
To launch the summit, Endangered Species, together with DIVA magazine, invited advertising and creative agencies from around the UK to submit ideas for a billboard campaign to communicate the Endangered Species’ message: save future generations of women and girls from hating their own bodies. The winning entry from Manchester’s RED C Agency is unveiled today and will be seen at 11 sites across the capital running up to the Endangered Species summit in London on 4th March. The sites have been donated to Endangered Species and DIVA courtesy of global out-of-home advertising company Clear Channel International.
The Endangered Species billboard campaign features in the March issue of DIVA magazine which is guest-edited by world-renowned psychotherapist, author and activist, Susie Orbach and goes on sale today.
Jane Czyzselska, editor of DIVA magazine, says:
"When Susie told us about Endangered Species, her upcoming event aimed at correcting the warped view we have of ourselves, which is created and supported by our personal histories and the powerful visual media, we decided to join forces and asked Susie to guest-edit a special issue of DIVA. We’re excited about the impact our efforts could have in changing the cultural discourse about our bodies and in turn helping women to feel truly at home in their skin."
Supported by Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, fashion guru Caryn Franklin, actor and writer Emma Thompson and DIVA magazine, Endangered Species aims to engage people from the worlds of politics, corporate life, fashion and media and ask them how they can best contribute to changing those aspects of the commercialization of beauty which are causing such harm to girls and women around the world today.
Susie Orbach says:
‘Endangered Species summit is an urgent call to action: to save future generations from the body misery which can start as early as 6 and continue until women are in old age homes. The summit aims to show girls and women how they can do something about it, and to inspire them to embrace change.’
‘Over the past 30 years the workings of the diet, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic surgery and style industries have made us view the body we live in as a body which must be perfect. The goal of perfectibility has turned generations of women against their own bodies. The young woman who can feel free to explore her interests without being preoccupied by how her body appears or focus on what procedure she should have in the future to change it is becoming an ‘endangered species’.
Notes to Editors
- Endangered Species is an International Summit with its UK event taking place at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank on 4th March. Individuals and groups from the UK and Ireland will be joined by initiatives throughout Europe to showcase the work they are already doing with and about young women – from projects in schools, colleges and communities to web-based groups and campaigning organisations. Performance, videos and artwork will frame the day and underline the urgent message of this summit. A truly global summit, Endangered Species events will take place in London, New York, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Sao Paulo. www.endangeredspecieswomen.org.uk
- The winners of the Endangered Species/Diva Billboard campaign competition, chosen from over 100 entries, were: 1st Place: Red C ‘Is this the happiest she’ll ever be about her appearance’; 2nd Place Hillcoat-Watson’s ‘Don’t Conform – Change the Norm; 3rd Place: Rapp’s ‘Nip and Tuck Off’. The judges were Susie Orbach and Diva’s Jane Czyzselska, Louise Carolin and Eden Carter Wood
- Diva is the biggest selling magazine for lesbian and bi-sexual women in the UK www.divamag.co.uk
- Clear Channel International (CCI)
Clear Channel International (CCI) works with advertisers to create inspiring out-of-home advertising campaigns in 30 countries across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The company has a growing portfolio, which is currently made up of over half a million displays, which span traditional and digital formats on roadside billboards, street furniture and in retail, point of sale, airport, transit and lifestyle environments. It employs over 5,000 people and, in 2009, its revenue was $1.46 billion USD.
CCI is part of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc (CCO), the world’s largest out-of-home advertising company with operations in 44 countries. CCO is, in turn, 89% owned by Clear Channel Communications, Inc the global media and entertainment company. The remaining 11% of CCO is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
www.clearchannelinternational.com
www.clearchannel.co.uk
- For all press enquiries please contact Annabel Robinson or Fiona McMorrough at FMcM Associates on 020 7405 7422 or email annabelr@fmcm.co.uk / Fionam@fmcm.co.uk
- To arrange for a high-resolution image of the billboard campaign winners please contact annabelr@fmcm.co.uk
Noticias: 00.01 lunes 7 de febrero 2011.
Susie Orbach lanza el cumbre internacional de ‘Especies en riesgo de extinción’ para desafiar la cultura del cuerpo perfecto.
La cumbre internacional de Especies en riesgo de extinción – establecida por Susie Orbach y lanzado hoy en Londres – celebrará la diversidad de los cuerpos humanos y desafiará la cultura que enseña a mujeres jóvenes y adultas odiar sus propios cuerpos. En marzo, el mismo mes del centenario del Día de la Independencia de la Mujer, eventos ocurrirán en todo el mundo, con el evento Británico principal ocurriendo en Southbank Centre en Londres el 4 de marzo del 2011.
Para lanzar la cumbre, Especies en riesgo de extinción junto con la revista DIVA invitaron a varias agencias de publicidad y creatividad en el Reino Unido para presentar ideas para un cartel de campaña que comunicará el mensaje de Especies en riesgo de extinción: Salve futuras generaciones de mujeres y chicas de odiar a sus propios cuerpos. La ganadora del concurso vino del RED C Agency de Manchester y se dio a conocer hoy y será vista en 11 sitios atravesando el capital hasta la cumbre de Especies en riesgo de extinción en Londres el 4 de marzo. Los sitios han sido donados a Especies en riesgo de extinción y DIVA, cortesía de Clear Channel International, una compañía de publicidad global afuera-de-casa.
El cartel de campaña de Especies en riesgo de extinción será destacada en la edición de marzo de la revista DIVA, la cual será editada por la famosa psicoterapeuta, autor y activista, Susie Orbach, y saldrá en venta el día de hoy.
Jane Czyzselska, editora de la revista DIVA dice:
“Cuando Susie nos contó sobre Especies en riesgo de extinción, su próximo evento que tenía como objetivo corregir la vista prejuiciosa que tenemos sobre nosotros mismos que es creado y apoyado por nuestras propias historias personales y una media visual muy poderosa, decidimos unirnos y le invitamos a Susie editar nuestra edición especial de DIVA. Estamos muy emocionados del impacto que podría tener nuestros esfuerzos en cambiar el debate cultural de nuestros cuerpos y en cambio, ayudar a mujeres conformarse en su propia piel.”
Apoyado por Lynne Featherstone Ministro de Igualdades, gurú de la moda Caryn Franklin, actriz y escritora Emma Thompson y la revista DIVA, Especies en riesgo de extinción tiene como objetivo hacer que gente viniendo del mundo de la política, de la moda, de la vida de las empresas y de la media participen, y preguntarles cómo ellos pueden contribuir en el tratar de cambiar los aspectos de la comercialización de la belleza que causa tanto daño a chicas y mujeres por todo el mundo.
Susie Orbach dice:
“La cumbre de Especies en riesgo de extinción es una llamada urgente a accionar: para salvar futuras generaciones de la miseria del cuerpo que puede empezar desde tan temprana edad como los 6 años y continuar hasta el envejecimiento. La cumbre tiene como objetivo mostrar a chicas y mujeres cómo pueden hacer algo del respecto e inspirarlas a apreciar el cambio.”
“En los últimos 30 años, los trabajos de la dieta, los farmacéuticos, la comida, la cirugía cosmética y las industrias del estilo han hecho que nuestros cuerpos se tienen que ver perfectos. La meta de la perfectibilidad ha convertido generaciones de mujeres en contra de sus propios cuerpos. Las jóvenes mujeres quienes pueden sentirse libres en explorar sus intereses, sin preocuparse de su cuerpo y enfocarse en el procedimiento que tienen que tener en el futuro para cambiarlo, están convirtiéndose en especies en riesgo de la extinción.”
Notas a los editores
- Especies en riesgo de extinción es una cumbre internacional, con su evento del Reino Unido llevándose a cabo en el Royal Festival Hall en Southbank en Londres el 4 de marzo. Individuos y grupos del Reino Unido e Irlanda estarán acompañados por iniciativas en toda Europa para publicar el trabajo que han hecho con y sobre mujeres jóvenes – de proyectos en colegios, universidades y comunidades a grupos basados en Internet y organizaciones de campañas. Rendimiento, videos y obras de arte marcarán el día y subrayarán el mensaje urgente de esta cumbre. Una verdadera cumbre global, eventos de Especies en riesgo de extinción se llevarán a cabo en Londres, Nueva York, Buenos Aires, Melbourne y Sao Paolo.
www.endangeredspecieswomen.org.uk
- Los ganadores de la competencia del cartel de campaña de Especies en riesgo de extinción/DIVA, elegidos entre más de 100 entradas, fueron: en primer lugar el de Red C, “Será éste el momento cuando estará ella contenta con su apariencia”; en segundo lugar el de Place Hillcoat-Watson, “No te conformes – cambie la norma”; en tercer lugar el de Rapp, “Nip and Tuck Off”. Los jueces fueron Susie Orbach y las empleadas de la revista DIVA, Jane Czyzselska, Louise Carolin y Edan Carter Wood.
- DIVA es la revista más vendida para mujeres lesbianas y bi-sexuales en el Reino Unido.
www.divamag.co.uk
- Clear Channel International (CCI)
Clear Channel International (CCI) trabaja con anunciantes para crear campañas de publicidad afuera-de-casa inspiradores en 30 países en Europa y la región de Asia-Pacífico. La compañía tiene una carpeta creciente, actualmente compuesta por más de un mitad de millón de muestras, las cuales abarcan formatos tradicionales y digitales en carteles de campañas sobre calles, mobiliario urbano y en ambientes de venta al por menor, punto de venta, aeropuerto, tránsito y estilo de vida. Da empleo a más de 5,000 personas y, en 2009, los ingresos fueron USD $1.46 billones.
CCI es parte de Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (CCO), la compañía de publicidad afuera-de-casa más grande del mundo con operaciones en 44 países. CCO es, en cambio, un 89% propiedad de Clear Channel Communications, Inc., la compañía global de media y entretenimiento. El restante 11% de CCO se convierte en objeto de comercio en la Bolsa de Nueva York.
www.clearchannelinternational.com
o Por todas las preguntas de la prensa por favor contacte a Annabel Robinson o Fiona McMorrough en FMcM Associates en 020 7405 7422 o mande un mail a annabelr@fmcm.co.uk / Fionam@fmcm.co.uk
o Para organizar un imagen de resolución alta de los ganadores del cartel de campaña por favor contacte annabelr@fmcm.co.uk