I know everyone always says Ethiopians are beautiful, but let me tell you something: Ethiopians are beautiful. Like, so-beautiful-I-can’t-quit-staring-at-you beautiful. Ethiopians hit the genetic jackpot with features unique to this world.
Americans are a complete smorgasbord of races and features. There is no “American look.” Sure, we have our own beauty, but we are completely indistinct, a result of centuries of melding and crossbreeding. In contrast, Ethiopians are completely homogeneous. Everyone in Ethiopia is totally Ethiopian, except visiting white people who stand out like a donkey-drawn cart on a freeway. But here is the good news: I get two beautiful Ethiopians in my very own family, and one day they will give me grandbabies.
When you were single or if you are single there is 50% chance you used dating apps. Data from Pew Research shows that most Americans find their dates through apps, so that is nothing to be surprised over. One thing I came to realize browsing through popular international dating sites is that every country has beautiful women. However it is very apparent that some countries have a much higher proportion of beautiful women than others.
Most people would want to deny this fact claiming that all people are beautiful. Off course everyone is beautiful but you know what I mean, lets try to save our time here guys. You would assume that developed countries are more likely to have more beautiful women but that is totally wrong.
Now that I know them, I could spot them anywhere: lean bodies, high, wide forehead, pronounced cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, a creamy, chocolate-milk-colored skin tone - almost Indian in complexion. Their skin looks like chocolate butter. The women are so gorgeous, it’s almost ridiculous. Most pull their hair straight back, giving their stunning faces center stage. I gape at them in utter appreciation and a moderate-to-high amount of envy. It’s all I can do not to kiss their high cheekbones, or at the very least ask to stroll down the street holding their hand and laughing like their other girlfriends are getting to do.
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Most of the young Ethiopian guys are strikingly good-looking. Like cover-of-a-magazine-Taye-Diggs good-looking. They wouldn’t last a nanosecond on Match.com. The cutest ones are tall and lean with that crazy pretty Ethiopian face. They have a casual fashion sensibility, pulling off faded jeans and t-shirts like African Matthew McHonaheys. I particularly like the longer hair dreadlocked into three-inch coils sticking straight out from their heads.
If you’re not sure where to begin, I got you, friend. We hear it every day, used to grasp our attention, to complement our exquisite aesthetics, to validate our sense of belongingness and so forth. This phrase has been echoing in the streets of Addis and in the private households of so many women that it has carved a dent in the perception of beauty to women. But once we unpack this term, we might be able to uncover a web of misconceptions and control. So, what is beauty for Ethiopian women?
When it comes to beauty there is a mutual consensus within a community to identify and categorize a variety of aesthetics considered most appealing. For Ethiopian women, there is a dominant culture which identifies fair skin, big expressive eyes, and long wavy hair as the essence of beauty. Additionally, a heavy burden weighs on women to keep a clean and polished appearance.
This burden is further reinforced by a silent decree which dictates how women are supposed to carry themselves, appear as they’ve made an effort to look feminine and secure the validation of others. This effort can be interpreted in various manners. It might be an effort to comply with the dominant culture of looking proper in shared spaces, which will create a harmony and belongingness amongst women who look happy and pretty.
The feminine edge is stereotypically categorized as vulnerability-a form of weakness in contrast to the strength and vigour of masculinity. Notwithstanding, femininity is a double-edged sword: it has the allure of power, sexuality, seduction, attraction, cajolery, counter to the unthreatenedspace where men can assert their mastery and dominance by contrast. The softness, passivity, physical dependency,commonly attributed with femininity in contrast to the daintiness of masculinity is an unchallenged ground enforcingstereotypes for gender distinction.
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The control is better understood by the polarized sentiment women feel if they partake in the culture of looking good or if they opt out. The bells automatically ring when a woman walks the streets of Addis not caring about the opinions of passers-by regarding her appearance. Two scenarios unfold. Either she disappears in the vacuum created purposely for the unnoticed or she gets the “wrong” kind of attention that creates ripple effects. The reaction for the lack of acknowledgment which is “generously” given by men (through various forms of harassment and heckling) strips her of the sense of belonging replaced by a feeling of inferiority.
The other might be the unending comments from peers, colleagues, friends and family, tarnishing her femininity with comments like, “Aren’t you a woman? You should take care of yourself! Which begs the question, why are we obsessed with looking good? Is it for our self-image that is built by the compliments and criticisms of others, or the perception others have about who we are? When we make an effort to look effortlessly clean and polished, there is an expectation of appreciation from others.
We imagine the flood of compliments from friends and peers, the stares of envy and admiration from female passers-by, and the spark of interest from men, as incentive validating our femininity. “Women want to be you and men want to be with you,” as you have retained the status quo set for women’s external appearance or might have even surpassed the set pedigree.
Surprisingly, the policing of women’s physical appearance is incessant. The hungry looks initiated by both men and women devour women, making it the most resilient self-sustaining control mechanismreinforced from within. But how can women strike the right balance to appease the societal pressure imposed on them and stay true to themselves? Well, there’s no simple answer.
Many women have accepted and embraced the imposed roles. This takessagacity to knowingly embrace a diminutive role and redefine it at will. Some women have participated in assimilating in“manly” and “macho” behaviours, which entails normalizing toxic masculinity by incorporating derogatory comments towards other women. It is a minefield, but women manage to navigate within this terrain of dangerous stereotypes. Every day they make an effort to quieten the noise of the societal pressure and listen intently to their desires and aspirations.
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There is this wholesome feeling that exists within each and every woman that reminds her of her absolute essence, and how the parameters set are not worthy of measuring it. She knows deep inside that she doesn’t have to justify her words and nonaction. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and yet women prevail at every corner finding their essence within. They behave the way that will encourage others to find peace within by skilfully managing the world outside. They are responsible to themselves as they remain true and aspire authenticity, which might entail analysing the temporary impression that arises when you have the perfect black jeans, and it fits perfectly everywhere.
Some days that perfect jeans, shrivels around the knees and just doesn’t go well with the loose t-shirt that you love. It’s this sentiment that the standards set for us to behave and feel in a certain way are not worth it. They diminish us and our worth. But we embrace and own it, positioning ourselves in the role of leadership by stretching the boundaries set and imprinting our footsteps in every space of the territory.
The Medium platform has been accused of being full of opinions and very few facts, I will be keen to present more facts, than opinions. Even Drake mentioned them in one of his songs. This one minute Steve Harvey video has something you want to keep in mind as we proceed. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder they say, but there is beauty that turns the heads of all beholders.
Historically speaking, the bride of King Solomon in the Song of Songs is described as black and beautiful. Some people say that she was fictional but that is not true. The bible says she was a Shulamite meaning from Shulem, which is believed to be in Africa near South fo Egypt. Now the other character whose beauty has fascinated historians is the queen of Sheba. She is described by Jewish Women Archives as a beautiful independent woman ruling a kingdom South of Sudan.
Sudan is not the present day Sudan, but the Arab North Africa or Maghreb. Zipporah who was the wife of Moses was has been discribed as a beautiful Ethiopian woman.
All genders, all ethnicities, and all nationalities seem to unite under the idea that Ethiopian women are the best in the whole world. The Horn of Africa generally Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia and Northern Kenya. These are the Habesha, Oromo and the Tigrayans. Ethiopia however beats them all. One of the most common features of these women is racial ambiguity. A chocolate skin tone and moderate physical attributes.
I used to think that people who say Ethiopians are pretty are just voicing opinions. But I was wrong. The facts are so obvious like day and night. Since I like arguing using data, I will try to do some digging around.
Ancient Ethiopian Beauty Secrets Revealed | Natural Skincare & Haircare Rituals
Here is a table summarizing the key aspects of Ethiopian beauty standards:
| Feature | Description | Cultural Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Skin Tone | Fair skin | Associated with beauty and status |
| Eyes | Big, expressive eyes | Considered attractive and captivating |
| Hair | Long, wavy hair | A desirable feature |
| Appearance | Clean and polished | Reflects femininity and effort |
