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Islamabad :-Former captain of Pakistan women’s cricket team Sana Mir has slammed advertisements promoting body shaming and the objectification of women.
In a post dedicated to “all young girls out there who aspire to take up sports”, Mir said, “Make no mistake: you need strong arms, not smooth arms, on a sports field.”
The veteran cricketer, who led the Pakistan team to numerous victories and recently broke into the top five in International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI bowlers rankings, spoke against the beauty standards imposed on women in a Facebook post.
Mir said she finally decided to address the issue after she saw an advertisement which was “magnifying a girl’s concern about how she looks on a basketball court”.
The former captain, who has played 108 ODIs for Pakistan since making her debut in 2005, lamented, “The worst thing is that instead of sending a message to young girls that the colour or texture of their skin does not matter, we are promoting body shaming and objectification.”
“Are the talent, passion and skill of a girl not enough for her to play sports?” she asked.
Mir who also shared a collage of her team members further said, “There are female sports icons around the world who have made their way to the top because of their skill, talent and hard work, not because of the colour or texture of their skin.”
“During my 12 years as a sportswoman in Pakistan, I have rejected several offers to endorse beauty products just for this reason: I want young girls with a passion for sports to know that all they need for a practice session are the will to succeed, comfortable shoes and clothes, a water bottle and a cap if it’s hot,” she added.
Not only did Mir call out the advertisement which pushed her to speak up but also sponsors and celebrities.
“We – corporate sponsors and celebrities – always talk about our concern regarding the objectification of women in different professional settings. It infuriates us most of the time.”
She continued, “We see endless posts and statuses on social media expressing our anger. But when it’s time to walk the talk, I have seen very few sponsors or celebrities actually take a stand to support women being comfortable in their own skin.”
“I request all sponsors and celebrities to ensure that when we engage young girls to fulfil their dreams, we show them a path that gives them actual confidence rather than disabling them by making them self-conscious,” Mir concluded.