Curvy Conference puts fat shaming to rest
In a bid to put a rest to fat shaming locally, entrepreneur and radio host Alisia Jarrett has conceptualised the first ever Curvy Caribbean Conference to empower plus-sized women to accept themselves, be confident, and shun naysayers.
Speaking at the media launch Tuesday, Jarrett said the time has come to move away from names such as ‘mampy’, ‘fatty’ and ‘swarthy’ to describe big bodied women and aim to diminish their self-confidence.
“I’m putting it on for curvy women, to have them feel accepted, love themselves. When they leave I want them to feel that way. Body positive image is what I’m pushing,” she told All Woman.
The conference, which will take place on April 8 and 9 at The Spanish Court Hotel, according to Jarrett, targets those size 14 and up.
“The reason is that we have difficulty in finding fabulous outfits for ourselves. We want a conference to focus on us. From this we want young girls to be encouraged and bring the message to other young girls to feel confident,” she said.
At the launch, guest speakers Dr Carolyn Cooper and Aloun Ndombet-Assamba underscored that big women should not allow men to put them down because of their size.
They said having zero tolerance for such behaviour is the first step to being empowered.
Ambassadors for the inaugural conference are Tessenie Mowatt and Tricia Campbell, international plus-size models; Nikki Frenney-Wiggins, Atlanta-based blogger for NikkiFree STYLE; actress Dahlia Harris; and Gianna Fakhourie, creator of The original ARM CANDY.
The interactive, two-day event will engage women in informative discussions, provide networking opportunities, and showcase entities that promote items for plus-sized women.
Jarrett emphasises putting focus on one’s health and not one’s weight so that women worldwide will feel less pressured about losing weight and more concerned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle through body, mind and soul.
“All women want to feel and look fabulous, no matter what size they are. It’s important for us to love who we are and where we are right now,” she said.
