We see it constantly: on the covers of gossip magazines, in the headlines on celebrity TV shows, from commentators on the red carpet.“Could she be showing?!” It's a never-ending example of how we — possibly without knowing — police women's bodies.
As women age, the pressure to have a baby accrues from friends, family, and an underlying societal expectation. We are constantly told this idea that women need to be married and with child in order to be truly fulfilled in life. Obviously, that is ridiculous.
Earlier in July, Jennifer Aniston expressed such frustrations in the Huffington Post, saying that the tabloids’ constant need to speculate over her potential pregnancy "points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they’re not married with children.” This sparked a major conversation regarding our expectations about women's bodies and futures.
Watch as R29 takes to the streets of New York City to continue this discussion about the pressures on women to "start a family."
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