Landmine pageant cancelled

While I think that we can all agree that beauty pageants are generally not a feminist event, there's one that I think might be actually a good idea. In an effort to empower women injured in landmine explosions, a group in Cambodia organized a pageant for the women.

The event was organized to raise awareness of the terrible and devastating impact landmines have on human lives. Unfortunately, the Cambodian government has canceled the event. It's really too bad. These women's lives were permanently changed by landmines, and I think that it is a good idea to celebrate these women not only for surviving but for also believing in their own beauty and worth.

You should look through the photos of the women. They are incredible. I think that this also exposes how ridiculous the construction of beauty is on our country when we think about how some women waste hundreds of dollars and minutes lamenting the fact that they have visible pores when there are women who have gone through an awful accident and lost limbs and still feel that they are beautiful.

And they should believe that they are beautiful, because they are. It makes me sad that these women have been denied an opportunity that would have empowered them, and raised awareness of a serious problem.
Photo courtesy of www.flickr/worldbank