Mujeres que no fueron tapa: The Representation of the Female Ideal and Its Mandates
Understand how the social transformation project that seeks to break gender stereotypes evolved
“The mandates tied to the female ideal are deeply entrenched. While it may seem like there has been some kind of change or ‘progress,’ everything is continuously recycled in a very efficient way,” says Lala Pasquinelli, founder of the organization “Mujeres que no fueron tapa” (Women Who Weren’t on the Cover).
The feminist artivist, lawyer, and poet assures that, over the last fifty years, the expectations of what women should be have been moulded around very strict standards: “The ideal of beauty has taken over the female ideal and has become central to a very high demand.”
However, meeting unattainable beauty standards is not the only aspect of the femininity stereotype. On this, the expert adds: “Women are still expected to be heterosexual, to have a heterosexual partner, to be good daughters, to have a family, to have children, and to be ‘good mothers’ in the form of omnipresent motherhood.”
The demands are multiple and seem to repeat constantly. This concern was what motivated the founding of “Mujeres que no fueron tapa” in 2015, starting from a collage work that its creator was carrying out.
“It was an exhibition with installations made from pieces of magazines representing this homogeneous and unattainable female ideal that educates us into submission. This was the first initiative we developed. It showed how the media of the time constructed and reproduced these gender stereotypes, that is, the construction of the female ideal,” explains Pasquinelli.
The organization now has nine years of experience. Today, the project is made up of twelve women with different levels of commitment and diverse roles. One of its most emblematic projects is the exhibition #HermanaSoltáLaPanza (Sister, Let Go of the Belly), a compilation of images and stories that highlight women’s right to exist beyond the shape of their bodies. This project has been exhibited in important cultural spaces in Argentina, Rome, Madrid, and Berlin.
In addition, their daily work includes offering workshops such as “Self-Esteem with a Feminist Perspective,” “Feminism to Read the Present,” and “Hacking Pink Motherhood,” among others. They are also organizing the event “The Hacking Stereotypes Festival 2024” an initiative to involve more people, from different locations, in building a critical view of the media and mass culture.
To date, their Instagram page has reached 481,000 followers and has a high level of interaction within its community. Its founder comments: “That’s precisely why we call ourselves ‘Mujeres que no fueron tapa’; we want to bring to the forefront the voices and narratives that generally don’t circulate, and for that, we need a high level of exchange with those who follow us.”
If you would like to support the work of “Mujeres que no fueron tapa,” click on this link. Discover all their initiatives on their website or Instagram.
