Developmental Feminist, Poetess and Women Empowerment Culturist, Gender Based Violence Specialist, Legal Advisor On The Matrimonial Law, Social and Legal Activist speaks truly on Condemning all forms of Body Shaming and It’s Impact on Mental Health.
Mayaa SH is a prominent Indian author, poetess, essayist, and social activist who actively campaigns against body shaming, advocating for inner beauty over external appearance. Her work emphasizes challenging unrealistic beauty standards and patriarchy through her writings and activism. Body shaming is a pervasive issue, often appearing in media and daily conversations, with studies indicating that a significant majority of teenage girls globally experience it. Mayaa SH’s efforts are part of a broader movement to combat this normalization and empower women to embrace their bodies and flaws. She believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change and has dedicated her work to addressing sensitive issues, including body shaming, sexual violence, and domestic violence.
Mayaa SH’s advocacy for women’s empowerment is deeply rooted in her understanding of identity as multi-layered, influenced by personal experiences and societal interactions. She uses her literary talents to address critical issues such as gender equality, mental health awareness, and the rights of marginalized communities. Her work encourages girls to reflect on their inner beauty rather than exterior appearance, promoting self-belief and challenging societal pressures. Her commitment to social reform for women in India is evident in her extensive contributions to literature and her active engagement with communities to foster change. Mayaa SH’s writings often center on the observations and experiences of women living in a patriarchal society, highlighting female sensibilities and advocating for gender neutrality. She has been recognized globally for her dedication to the fight for gender neutrality, equality, and women’s rights.
Mayaa SH has sincerely highlighted how body shaming contributes to negative self-talk, creates unrealistic beauty expectations, and can trigger serious mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Mayaa SH emphasizes that societal beauty standards often lead to unhealthy comparisons and a distorted view of oneself, making individuals feel inadequate and experience low self-esteem. She advocates for a shift in focus from external appearance to inner qualities, urging people to appreciate strengths, talents, and character. Her work in Podcast Series, “Purpose With A Light Podcast Series” directly tackles the stigma surrounding mental health issues, including body shaming, depression, and suicide prevention. She aims to foster a supportive community environment where individuals feel safe to discuss their struggles and find connection.
She also connects body shaming to the broader impact of gender roles on mental health. Mayaa SH explains that rigid gender roles can lead to emotional suppression, self-esteem issues, perfectionism, and pressure to conform, all of which negatively affect mental well-being. For instance, women may feel pressured to meet unrealistic beauty standards, leading to body dissatisfaction and lowered self-esteem. Mayaa SH’s work encourages individuals to break free from these societal constraints and embrace self-love and resilience. She believes that by challenging these norms and promoting mental health awareness, a more compassionate and inclusive environment can be created.
In words of Mayaa “Body shaming is a pervasive issue that involves making inappropriate or negative comments about someone’s body size, shape, or appearance, and it can have severe psychological and societal repercussions. This behavior can manifest in various forms, including direct criticism, unsolicited advice, jokes, or even subtle non-verbal cues. It can be directed at oneself (internalized body shaming) or at others, and can originate from parents, siblings, friends, strangers, or even healthcare professional. Body shaming must be condemned due to its profound negative impact on mental and physical health, its reinforcement of unrealistic beauty standards, and its contribution to a culture of insecurity and discrimination.”
Mayaa SH has actively condemned body shaming through her writings, activism, and public appeals, focusing on challenging unrealistic beauty standards and promoting self-acceptance and empowerment for women. Mayaa SH, also known by various titles such as Mayaa Devi, Lady Gandhi, Padma Of The East Lady Robin Hood etc., is a prominent figure in contemporary literature and a recognized advocate for women’s rights and empowerment. Born in Kolkata and educated across different cities in India, she has made significant contributions to the field through her writings and activism. Her advocacy is deeply rooted in her understanding of identity as multi-layered, influenced by personal experiences and societal interactions. Mayaa SH employs her literary talents to address critical issues such as gender equality, mental health awareness, and the rights of marginalized communities. She has been involved with initiatives aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, emphasizing gender inclusivity. Through her powerful writings on feminism and gender equality, she aims to inspire change and promote social freedom for women. Her role as a culturalist extends beyond writing; she actively engages with communities to combat stress through dialogue and support.
Mayaa SH is an Indian authoress who is known for actively raising her voice against misogyny, body shaming, and stigma around mental health. She makes use of her poetry skills to confront the unrealistic beauty standards and patriarchy. Mayaa SH works for causes and issues related to education, development, media, and gender. She has been putting her efforts in this line to prevent people from committing suicide by helping them to navigate through stress by deploying talk as a therapy. In her work, Mayaa SH emphasizes the importance of education in combating both domestic violence and stigma. She believes that raising awareness about women’s rights and providing resources for education can empower women to reclaim their lives. This empowerment is essential for breaking the cycle of abuse and fostering a culture where women are treated with dignity and respect. Mayaa SH advocates for legal reforms aimed at protecting women from violence and ensuring justice for victims. She argues that laws should be strengthened to hold abusers accountable while also addressing societal attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. By pushing for these changes, she hopes to create a safer environment for future generations.
Mayaa SH’s work serves not only as a reflection of contemporary issues but also as a catalyst for discussions surrounding women’s rights. By navigating complex themes related to identity and societal norms through art and literature, she encourages others to challenge traditional perspectives on gender roles. Her efforts contribute significantly to raising awareness about women’s issues in India and beyond. Mayaa SH is a known name for women empowerment due to her extensive contributions to literature that advocate for gender equality, mental health awareness, and social justice while actively engaging with communities to foster change.
Condemnation of Body Shaming :
Mayaa SH has consistently raised her voice against body shaming, integrating this advocacy into her broader work on women’s empowerment and social justice. Her efforts can be understood through several key avenues:
Literary Works and Poetry: Mayaa SH utilizes her poetry skills to confront unrealistic beauty standards and patriarchy. Her contemporary prose work has highlighted and broken many stereotypes about women and their power of self-belief. By challenging these societal norms through her writing, she aims to dismantle the foundations that perpetuate body shaming.
Activism and Advocacy: As a prominent women’s rights activist and social campaigner, Mayaa SH actively speaks out against misogyny and the stigma around mental health, which often intertwines with body image issues. She emphasizes that women’s empowerment is essential for achieving social justice, and this includes empowering women to feel confident and valued regardless of their physical appearance.
Challenging Societal Pressures: Mayaa SH’s work, particularly her exploration of “Cosmetic Sati,” metaphorically describes the silent self-erasure women undertake in contemporary society due to the pursuit of an “ideal” image dictated by societal norms and the male gaze. This concept directly addresses how women are pressured to constantly reshape their bodies to fit evolving ideals, leading to an “Erosion of Essence” internally despite an external illusion of sparkle and self-confidence. She critiques how capitalism and patriarchal systems perpetuate this modern form of “Sati” by commodifying women’s bodies and imposing aesthetic demands.
Promoting Self-Belief and Identity: Mayaa SH’s overarching message of empowering women through education and self-belief directly counters the negative impacts of body shaming. She advocates for women to build an identity based on their own experiences, desires, pain, and boundaries, rather than on external validation. This focus on internal strength and self-worth is crucial in helping individuals resist the pressures of body shaming.
Community Engagement: Beyond her writings, Mayaa SH actively engages with communities to combat stress through dialogue and support. This engagement likely includes discussions that address self-esteem and body image concerns, fostering environments where women feel supported and valued. By addressing the root causes of body shaming, such as patriarchal norms and unrealistic beauty standards, and by promoting self-acceptance and empowerment, Mayaa SH works to create a society where women are free from such pressures and can thrive authentically.
Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy: A significant aspect of Mayaa SH’s work is her dedicated advocacy for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. She recognizes that societal pressures can significantly affect young women’s self-esteem and identity formation, making mental health support integral to personal empowerment. Through her writings, public speaking, and numerous initiatives she aims to destigmatize mental health challenges and create platforms for open dialogue. Her podcasts, interviews, writings, work specifically addresses critical issues such as the stigma around mental health, body shaming, character assassination, depression, and suicide prevention. Mayaa SH emphasizes the importance of empathy, mindfulness, and community support in fostering mental well-being. She provides insights on coping with extreme trauma, depression, and suicidal thoughts, offering practical steps towards a supportive community environment. Her efforts have been instrumental in creating safe spaces for open dialogue and offering support to those in crisis, thereby saving lives through her suicide prevention advocacy.
About The Author
Mayaa SH also known as Lady Karl Marx and Female Chulbul Pandey is a feminist philosopher, thinker and essayist in 21st century modern India. She is not a typical passive Indian woman who blindly follow the norms that are not meant to uplift women in a more sensitive and rational manner. She is a Mother of championing the power of self belief to an extent that her vision of her philosophy is to give freedom to woman from so called judgements that still plague our society at large. Mayaa SH is a Literary Empowerment Campaigner, an Iconic Contemporary Authoress and Poetess and A Social Activist who has shattered all glass ceilings and barriers to champion the cause of Gender Equality and Neutrality. Best known for her work in Swayam, she is Championer of Women’s Rights, Authoress, Public Intellectual, and a former corporate juggernaut, Mayaa SH is a recognised crusader on Indian’s contemporary verve of economics, freedom of the press, gender neutrality and human rights. Mayaa SH is a known name in contemporary literature and is a multi National and State Award Winner, a Podcaster, an Artist, a Record Chart Topping International Fastest Anthology Co-Author and a twelve times World Record Holder. She is driven by passion to write and compose. She has love for grammar and mental health awareness by engaging in talk as remedial navigation through any situation. She always tries to look for ways to merge the two. She is an avid enthusiast for the three C’s : Character, Charisma and Chivalry. Be it, writing; debating or counselling; she makes sure to dedicate time to every such field wherein the reach is extensive and dedicated towards people in order to make her dreams reach countless souls. She is a suicide prevention expert.
