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Pakistani Cricketer Sana Mir Opens Up About the Objectification Female Sports Players Face Due to Brands

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We have seen a number of international female sports players be the face of numerous brands all over the world. In their charm and charisma, their talent is utilized as a representation of their profession incorporated with the core values of the brand. The sports personalities are never asked to mold; they are the iconic representation of numerous well-known brands.

In Pakistan, However, Things Are Different – And Sana Mir Summed It Perfectly in her Post

In an incident she shared with a hair removal brand for celebrity endorsements, Sana Mir wrote a heartfelt post to share the bitter side of how the sportswomen are treated in Pakistan by brands.

Here’s What She Wrote:

To all young girls out there who aspire to take up sports.

“Make no mistake: you need strong arms, not smooth arms, on a sports field. “

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.

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.

One of the ad campaigns that has finally pushed me to come forward with my concern is the latest campaign by a company promoting a hair removal cream.

I have come to know that it’s a campaign for both Pakistan and India. It’s magnifying a girl’s concern about how she looks on a basketball court. 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?

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.

Make no mistake: you need strong arms, not smooth arms, on a sports field.

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.

I request all sponsors and celebrities to ensure that when we engage young girls to fulfill their dreams, we show them a path that gives them actual confidence rather than disabling them by making them self-conscious.

Here’s the link to the original post:

This is a fitting answer to all the brands in Pakistan who cannot work with female sportswomen based on their talent, based on how they are comfortable in their skin, rather than asking them to mold themselves.

Kudos to Sana Mir for speaking about something like this; shedding light on a matter that goes unnoticed in a country like Pakistan where the norms and parameters of beauty are so stern and stereotyped.

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