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5 Jan, 2019 18:41

Januhairy: Women are letting their body hair grow and it’s sparking social media showdowns

Januhairy: Women are letting their body hair grow and it’s sparking social media showdowns

A movement to get women to ditch tending to their body hair for the month of January is proving to be, yet another, social media flashpoint.

The campaign was kicked off by 21-year-old university student Laura Jackson who, in the spirit of Movember, is using it to raise money for a body-positive education program.

“When I first started growing my body hair my mum asked me ‘Is it you just being lazy or are you trying to prove a point?’” Jackson wrote on Instagram. “Why should we be called lazy if we don’t want to shave?”

Januhairy’s Facebook page adds a bit more detail on the philosophical underpinnings of the charity drive: “Society seems to be behaving as if the natural hair we grow on our bodies is unattractive and distasteful. We are so used to removing our body hair that we are becoming unfamiliar with our authentic selves,” it says.

Participants had one last shave on New Year’s Eve and they plan to forego wax and razors until February. Women from around the world have also gotten on board with the initiative and have been sharing snaps of their hairy legs and armpits.

Unsurprisingly the movement has sparked a heated debate online with many people applauding the participants for their efforts.

While others registered strong opposition to the campaign.

As the “discussion” took place on social media it wasn’t long before arguments started. Each negative commenter was bombarded with responders telling why they’re wrong.

And to think January is only five days old.

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