Insecurity about body image isn’t a strange concept in today’s society, especially for women. For some, they learn at a young age the strict, nearly impossible standards for beauty and what habits they can develop to be deemed attractive.

A women’s activist in China, however, is trying to change that by letting women embrace their bodies by starting the “Armpit Hair Competition.”

Xiao Meili began the popular competition on the Chinese social network Weibo. Women have been posting pictures of their underarms to show off their armpit hair in the hopes of being one of the top ten pictures chosen by the competition organizers.

“Girls are often anxious about their armpit hair as if it’s a sign of being dirty or uncivilized,” Meili said. “But we should have the freedom to choose whether to accept what grows naturally on our bodies.”

Some support Meili’s idea of embracing the natural features of the female body, such as feminist Xiao Yue.

“Women’s armpit hair is considered to be offensive, rude and ungraceful – how come it makes people so uncomfortable?” Yue said. “Women’s underarm hair can be adorable, interesting, humorous, sexy, serious, connotative and ever-changing.”

Like all ideas that challenge societal norms, the competition was met with opposition, such as one woman stating her confusion for the competition since she shaves her armpit hair because “it’s gross not to.”

Personally, I believe that women have the right to express themselves and portray their beauty in a manner that makes them happy. I shave my armpit hair because, despite my one gym teacher’s belief that sweat is sexy, armpit stains are more likely when I don’t shave and that’s an issue I’d rather avoid.

What do you guys think? Shave the pits or let them be?

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