The Truth about a Woman's Worth

What is a woman’s worth measured by? Her body? Her beauty? The way she walks, talks, or smiles under pressure? Society has handed women so many versions of worth most of which are rooted in how we look, not who we are.

A couple of years ago, I took part in a beauty pageant. I had previously worked as a model in my teenage years, and I didn't like the indecency or lewdness that sometimes came with the industry. For beauty pageants, however, I was so taken up by the idea of the winner being involved in purpose projects throughout their reign, something that I felt tied in well with my goals at the time. I desired to be a woman of positive impact and service to society, so having just completed my final year exams at University and feeling ready to start pursuing my dreams, a pageant announcement reaching me was the perfect opportunity. It was a mix of excitement, nerves, and a deep desire to step out of my comfort zone. But one moment from that experience has stuck with me and not in a good way.

On the day of the auditions, we were asked to carry a swimming costume. I had watched several pageant shows, and there is that swimsuit part that I detested; however, I carried my mostly covering swimsuit and showed up. First thing was to check everyone's swimsuit, and when the cheparone got to me, she exclaimed how I had carried a whole dress, so she exchanged it for a two-piece swimsuit as the pageant team had carried spare suits for the girls who could not have understood the assignment. For auditioning, we were tasked to individually walk across a stage in two-piece swimsuits while introducing ourselves and sharing our aspirations. In that moment, I remember feeling conflicted. Why did we need to bare our bodies to speak about our dreams? What message were we being fed? However, my eyes were on the prize, so I brushed away my conflicting thoughts and went through with the process.

Looking back, I realize how normalized this idea has become that a woman’s confidence is best showcased when she’s showing more skin. That power is somehow linked to how much we are willing to display our bodies as objects of surface-level attraction.

But think about it: you’d never see a man walk into an interview for a CEO position shirtless. So why is it that women are constantly being conditioned to equate seduction with empowerment?

I believe in honouring our bodies not just in how we treat them, but in how we clothe them. Dressing with intention and dignity doesn't take away from confidence it enhances it. There's power in modesty, and no, modesty isn’t about shame or restriction. It’s about value. It is about refusing to let the world reduce us to sexualized figures, whose worth is based on appeal rather than intellect.

When women are constantly presented as objects of visual consumption, it becomes harder for people to see the value that comes from our minds, our ideas, and our passions. And that's a loss not just for women but for the world.

Maya Angelou, Queen Elizabeth II and Mother Teresa are all not remembered for how much boob was falling out of their blouses everytime they stepped out in public. Rather, we remember them for the impactful work that their minds produced.

A woman's worth isn’t about how much skin you reveal. It’s about knowing that you have a purpose to serve, learning how to execute that purpose, and believing that God has fully enabled you to carry out your role in the world.