Is cosmetic surgery anti-feminist?

Do the words ‘feminist’ and ‘cosmetic surgery’ even jive together?

A close friend who is a feminist had her breasts enlarged not too long ago. She mentioned that she still often feels conflicted with on the one hand being a feminist, and on the other, not opposing the idea of undergoing cosmetic procedures.

That’s not surprising – after all, this topic always seems to raise a debate amongst the nation – in fact, worldwide.

There are feminist campaigners who protest and call on the government to ban all advertisements for cosmetic surgery. This group of women are against cosmetic procedures because they think that these procedures are mercilessly targeting women who are at the lowest point in their lives, while taking advantage of them – financially.

Not only that, some feminists believe, often without taking the time to really understand all the facts, that cosmetic procedures recklessly trivialise women’s health.

These groups are choosing to not only criticise others who have made the decision to go under the knife, but also to determine what’s right and what’s not for another woman as well. Come to think of it, isn’t that just as condescending and bigoted as the male counterparts to whom they are so vocally opposed?

The relationship between a woman and her body is already complicated enough – why would we allow a stranger to tell us what looks beautiful on us and what doesn’t? No one has the right to belittle our decision on what we want to do with our own bodies, or to stop us from feeling good about the changes we make.

Does it necessarily mean that a woman is selling out her feminism if she decides to get herself a little nip/tuck – even if it means the world to her?

No.

We truly believe that the basic fundamentals for a feminist is when she learns and accepts that she has every right to listen to her own voice. Each woman knows what is best for her, and clearly, each knows what she wants for herself.

Before considering cosmetic surgery, each woman should ask herself this honestly: “Am I doing this to achieve inner happiness?”

Ultimately, the decision is in each woman’s hands.

If a woman decides to get bigger boobs or undergo rhinoplasty in order to be happier and increase her self-esteem, it is paramount to not let anyone else influence her decision.

Being a feminist doesn’t necessarily mean being opposed to cosmetic surgery procedures – no woman should feel shame in what she does or decides to do with her own body.