Spain Queen Letizia Criticised For Showing Grey Hair: Can We Stop Denying Women Privilege Of Aging?

Ask a 40-plus-year-old how age is hitting hard. Obviously, growing up is tough, and coping with it is way more complex. Society makes it more difficult by judging women from their physical signs of ageing. The visible attributes of growing up are much harder to digest especially for women. As society has its own set standards of how women should age, which is not the case with men. Might have come across the statement ageing graciously, usually used for women, but I hate it. I mean, am I supposed to look 18 at the age of 50? Why can't that be left to nature instead of man-made standards? The worst is men ageing not-so-graciously are accepted easily.  A woman showing little silver streaks becomes a matter of discussion for society. Why women are criticised and men applauded? 

At least this is what happened to the Queen of Spain Letizia. Her grey hair became the subject of an article by The Daily Mail. She was called out for showing her  grey hair, "Sorry Letizia but going grey says a woman has given up." Whereas The Daily Mail also did an article on Colin Farrell and his age. The author writes- "Colin Farrell is a silver fox, a 43-year-old actor goes for an early morning coffee run in Los Angeles" The difference between both articles is Colin Farrell's greys were appreciated, enough to call him Silver Fox, while Letizia's greys earned criticism for ageing. One criticised! One praised! Why this discrimination over grey hair?  

Spain Queen Letizia Criticised For Grey Hair

When the author of the article says given up, what does she mean by that? Grey hair is a sign of ageing but it doesn't mean life is ending. It reflects achievements, hard work, a mature life, and what is wrong with them. If men's grey hair can be cherished, what is the problem with women's grey? Right they don't suit the beauty standard of society. Did the author want Letizia to colour her hair? Seem so. Besides, giving up on what- the struggle a woman goes through for being a woman and doing her so-called societal duties. Or giving up on working tirelessly to stop all natural signs of the human body ageing, giving up on all the conventional beauty practices induced during social conditioning. If yes! then surely greying is worth it.

Since childhood, women are conditioned to look beautiful and motivated to enhance their beauty. I have seen my cousins, and friends using anti-ageing cream or for that matter makeup. Never saw a man using make-up or anti-ageing cream except for lip balms. They use lip-balm that too when their lips hurt, women do it to enhance their beauty. That's the difference. It is ingrained in women's minds to look beautiful up to eternity, even if they are on their death bed. Society imposes and perpetuates beauty standards on women, on the other hand, women spend their entire life living it. Even if a woman might not want to get into makeup thing, her friends, or acquaintances will focus on her marks, wrinkles, and grey hair. Suggest her various beauty products. This is called gendered ageism. 

I am not against taking care of oneself but applying it to only one gender is unfair. When a man gets tanned, he is called rugged and dusky, and assumed that women love it. It looks more manly but for a woman, tanning means get a facial, apply fairness cream, and detox. Women are pressured to fix themselves. Misogyny is sprinkled everywhere be it self-care. Sometimes, it creates self-hatred in women. The confidence is hurt in so many ways, ageing-induced insecurities as well. 

Above all these two articles were written by women, It felt a bit disappointing, I assume how a well-read woman can spill such prejudices. When will women stop putting down each other, and share sisterhood? Ageing is a phase of life, let women live. All her life, a woman is put in boxes and given a role to play. It is said ageing slowly blurs these boxes, however, I disagree as a new set of boxes is added. Can we let women age without the pressure to fix themselves? Can we stop denying them the privilege of ageing? Can we stop manipulating female self-esteem?

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