In defense of women’s magazines

Women’s magazines have a reputation for being frivolous, self-absorbed, mind-numbing fluff – a reputation that many would argue is well earned. But amidst the sea of “Best looks for summer” and “Top ten ways to shed the pounds” are also genuine voices speaking out about what it takes and means to be a woman today.

I’m by no means an avid reader of women’s magazines and mostly don’t find much need or desire to read them. What has made me realize the importance of magazines ‘by women for women’ is my recent encounter with the Indian edition of Marie Claire.

One of the saddest things I do everyday is open the morning paper here in India. More often than not, in a little corner of the paper I will find a sad paragraph about a woman that has been abused, killed, raped, etc., very often by another family member. The crimes themselves are bad enough but the fact that they merit such small mentions in the paper is heartbreaking.

I picked up the Marie Claire at our local Barista coffee shop on a whim because I had forgotten to bring along reading material and it seemed like a better option than the IPL cricket match on the TV (I’ve been in India for 4 weeks and I still don’t get cricket). As I leafed through the magazine, I was pleasantly surprised by its content. There were articles about women standing up against abuse, fighting for recognition for housewives, reclaiming their lives and independence after a divorce, taking ownership of their sexuality, etc.

Sure there was also lots of stuff on face creams and eyeshadows, but it is the only place in Indian media where I’ve heard the voice of strong Indian women speaking out about these issues and standing up for women’s rights. All of which reminded me that Chatelaine magazine played much the same role in Canada in the 60’s under Doris Anderson, when it quietly but firmly promoted women’s rights.

So here’s a cheer from me to women’s magazines. You may have your flaws but thank you for providing an outlet for our voices.