Dark is Beautiful

Congratulations

2009-03-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the 'Dark is Beautiful' Contests!

Painting

1. Shreya Mehta - Is Fair Beautiful?

2. Varsha Salome Devakumar - Redefined Ideal

Photography

1. Janardhanan Arun - Silent Smile

2. Mary Pence - Father and Daughter

Poetry

1. Saudha Kasim - Good Mothers
2. Susan Philip - A Lullaby For Yamini

Short Story

1. Madhuri Ramachandran - Clay

2. Brinda S. Narayan - All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small

Events this week...

2009-03-02T03:18:00.000-08:00

WOW & BRITISH COUNCIL, CHENNAI
PRESENT
DARK IS BEAUTIFUL

A Series of Events Celebrating International Women’s Day 2009

at
British Council, Chennai

4TH MARCH: BOOK READING
Time: 6.30 p.m.
Admission Free!
Experience the theme ‘Dark is Beautiful’ come alive as theatre personalities read passages from books, poems & essays.

5TH MARCH: ‘EMERGE”
A Seminar on Personality Development For Women
6.00 p.m to 7.30p.m
Registration Fee: Rs. 500/-( Registration at British Council. Only 40 seats available)

6TH MARCH: ‘Beauty beyond Colour’ Concert
6.30 p.m. onwards
Admission Free!
Featuring:
JUS FRIENDS, VINTAGE BREW, FISH FOOD MAXYN KINGSTON, JESSICA VATZ,
WASHED CLOTHES & the WOW band

7TH MARCH: FINAL EVENT & PRIZE DISTRIBUTION
6.30 p.m. onwards
Admission Free!
This event will be the concluding event of the launch of the campaign "Dark is Beautiful"
featuring:
Prize Distribution to winners from the Poetry, Short Story, Painting and Photography contest, A short talk by the Chief Guest.

DisB International Women's Day Contest

2009-02-07T03:42:00.000-08:00

In a joint initiative leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8, British Council, Chennai and Women of Worth (WOW) are inviting entries of paintings, photographs, short stories and poetry around the theme, ‘Dark is Beautiful.’

The aim of the ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign is to spark conversation and creative expression on this issue.

Select entries will be displayed at the British Council, Chennai premise from March 4-7. Winners of the competitions will be announced and prizes awarded at the British Council on Saturday, March 7.

The British Council, Chennai and Women of Worth will be presenting a slate of ‘Dark is Beautiful’ events from March 4th-7th, including a book reading, a concert, and ‘Emerge’, a personality development workshop. All events will be held at the British Council, Chennai premises. Check back for more details on these events

Don’t forget to review the detailed instructions for the contest.

Look Out!

2009-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Hi All!
Keep an eye out for the competitions coming up on the theme 'Dark Is Beautiful'! Pass the word around and keep checking our blog for more information.

What its all about ...

2008-11-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

Women of Worth: Empowering women to be agents of change

Women of Worth (WOW) is a network of women from across the city of Chennai who believe that they can be agents of change. By empowering women and standing up for justice and equality in every facet of life and society, WOW seeks to help women be the best they can be.

In the past, WOW has sought to address issues like domestic violence, dowry, female infanticide, gender discrimination etc. through seminars, workshops and counselling.

The Issue: The toxic belief that a woman’s worth is measured by the fairness of her skin

As WOW has interacted with thousands of women, one of the key issues that has surfaced is the belief that the beauty and value of an Indian woman is determined by the fairness of her skin. This false belief, shaped by societal attitudes and reinforced by media messages, is corroding the self-worth of countless girls and women.

Our interactions have revealed that women with darker complexions:

* are often seen as the second or last option in industries that seem to set beauty norms, such as fashion, film, hospitality and services, etc.
* have been discriminated against in the workplace, and feel they have to work harder to be accepted by their peers
* have been insulted and mistreated by their own relations
* have been rejected by potential marriage partners

It’s not only women who experience the bias towards fairness. Men have similar experiences when it comes to jobs or feeling attractive.

The Goal: To engage the city in discussion to challenge and change attitudes

WOW is developing a multi-faceted media campaign called “Dark Is Beautiful” to be culminated during the week of International Women’s Day in March 2009. The campaign will:

1. seek to bring attention to skin colour bias and its toxic effects on our society and

2. challenge our city to think positively about every skin tone and esteem all people based on their innate value.