Women Participation in No Shave November

November ushers in not only the start of the holiday season with Thanksgiving, but also No Shave November, a month-long event dedicated to raising awareness for prostate cancer by having people refrain from shaving.  However, women are shunned and labeled as “gross” and “unkempt” for participating.

Women participation is regarded as a joke among the majority of the population – from my fellow class mates to celebrities.  As October came to a close, I found myself reading more and more Facebook statuses poking fun at women participation in this event, including “No Shave November.  #proudofwhoiam” and “I’ll be participating in Noshember guiz don’t hate!”  What bothered me the most about these statuses is that females were the ones creating them.  Additionally, Will Ferrell, most famously known for his role in the movie Elf, commented on the event by saying “Girls who participate in No Shave November will also participate in No D December.” 

While I am in no way trying to turn No Shave November into a feminist cause about the rights of  women to do whatever they want with their body hair, it seems like the true meaning of No Shave November has dwindled down into nothing more than a competition between men to advertise how much facial hair they can grow.  If I were to participate in this event, it would be because I want to spread awareness about prostate and testicular cancer, not because I’m trying to prove a point about the expectations for women to maintain the status of “beautiful.”

It is important for participants to remember what the cause is all about – raising awareness for prostate cancer – so that both men and women feel free to participate without being constrained by social norms and judgment from their peers.