The objectification of women occurs when a woman, the concept of woman, or her image is used for purposes that do not dignify her as a human being. This includes qualifying her based on her beauty or her correspondence to male sexual desire, without reference to her rational capacity or human dignity.
The theory posits that women, from a young age, accumulate experiences where they are valued for their body and physical appearance. This dynamic can increase the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders, especially when their appearance changes.
This trend is evident in many adolescents, where body image can become an obsession. Some young women become absorbed in an idealization of their bodies, a life stage where it is crucial to understand life, build personal values, and interpret the world around them.
Behind objectification lie structured businesses that feed on ancestral sexist conceptions. These ideas, often disguised or sweetened, permeate society and are accepted in the daily relationships of many adolescents.
Education, starting in families and extending to schools, is fundamental in offering hope. The author expresses sadness and indignation recalling a school performance where the girls' aspirations for happiness were reduced to going to the beach, making love, and drinking mojitos, with attire that accentuated objectification, contradicting the education received.
