Do you get rid of your body hair? Do you hate your periods? Are you debating a nose job? Why? Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch has been tracing how we’ve become so loathing of our bodies.
In this chat with Fearne, Afua explains where our modern, Western notions of beauty come from, and why she’s advocating for us to celebrate how powerful our bodies are.
She’s rediscovering and reclaiming rituals her ancestors will have done before Western ideals became the norm, and points out that wanting to change your facial features to conform to beauty trends will erase your ancestry.
Fearne and Afua chat about a desire for more fluidity around sexuality and identity, as well as why we should respect the wisdom that comes with age rather than fearing it.
Plus, how to dig deep and ask yourself: “Do I think this, or have I been taught this?”
Afua’s book, Decolonising My Body, is out now.
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