The real battle for Muslim women and, indeed, women in general, lies beyond their looks
Even though she’s just a doll, American style icon Barbie perpetuated for decades the ideal of tall, slim, blue-eyed beauty. Despite her impossible figure and colouring that are globally rare, she was the standard. She was what a woman ought to look like.
Until, that is, earlier this year, after yielding to consumer pressure, Barbie’s creators Mattel released a range of dolls to better reflect ethnic and body size diversity. They were lauded for their efforts. But barely a few days later, a young Nigerian Muslim woman launched the “Hijarbie” Instagram feed, showcasing what happened when Barbie went Muslim and met the hijab. The cute photos of the doll posing in stylish fashions caught the zeitgeist. She was the beauty that Barbie forgot.
She’s the bellweather for a global beauty industry that still sets the standard for what a woman should look like. It’s an industry that impacts women’s self-esteem, social acceptance and yes, even the opportunities available to them. But more than that, who we see portrayed as beautiful tells us about who we accept as occupying a legitimate space in our societies, and equally, those excluded from our ideas of beauty are a reflection of those whom we exclude from being part of our societies.
It’s no surprise then that young Muslim women – fed up of being portrayed as oppressed, submissive ghosts at the same time as being proud of their faith and unafraid to express themselves – are celebrating a long-overdue recognition and inclusion by the beauty industry.
Muslim beauty blogger Nura Afia has just been named as one of CoverGirl’s ambassadors. She’s the first Muslim woman to be part of a leading American campaign, and this will include having her image posted up in Times Square. “I never thought I would see Muslim women represented on such a large scale,” she says. “I hope [this campaign] will show Muslim women that brands care about us as consumers and we’re important, especially hijabis.”
For young women to see themselves reflected in today’s all-encompassing visual medium is a powerful thing. Consumption is core to identity, and they are co-opting it to say something about themselves.
It’s also a powerful form of normalisation. It impacts not just how you see yourself, but also how others see you. Advertising reflects social norms, but advertising can also re-enforce them in a positive way. But in what capacity are Muslim women really “allowed” to occupy the public space? Muslim beauty and fashion ambassadors have undoubtedly opened the door to social and cultural inclusion.
But pan out to the wider women’s movements, and we see similar trends: inclusion and diversity are growing within the worlds of beauty and fashion, reflecting the increase in women’s choices, income and empowerment. But the challenge still remains that women overall remain defined by how they look. They can excel in beauty, but what happens when the actually want to raise their voices?
In the UK, talented TV journalist Fatima Manji covered the horrific attacks in Nice. Her reporting is top-notch, a fresh, clear talented voice. She had a job to do and she delivered. But critics who insist that a woman’s place is to hush up and look pretty simply couldn’t stand it. A Muslim woman shouldn’t speak (on this subject) was the fodder of their complaint.
Women are “allowed” to express themselves in the beauty sphere, looking pretty but staying quiet. The real battle for Muslim women lies beyond just looks, and in this struggle they must stand united with women as a whole.
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World and Love in a Headscarf
