Facial hair for a better world

Frida Kahlo has inspired many a feminist, but who could have guessed that her large eyebrows would some day help to raise money for charity? And yet that is exactly what is happening this December, a month that Feministing blogger and communications associate at the International Women’s Health Coalition, Lori Adelman has renamed Decembrow.

Following in the footsteps of Movember, a male movement seeking to raise awareness of health issues that specifically affect men, Decembrow copies the idea of getting friends and family to sponsor you to let your facial hair grow for a whole month without resorting to tweezers or razors for a trim. In Movember’s case, men let their moustaches grow for the whole month of November; in Decembrow’s case women are supposed to let their eyebrows grow unrestrained and in some people’s case the result will be the Frida Kahlo mono-eyebrow effect.

Adelman’s idea is not as wacky as it sounds, in 2009 more than 250 thousand men supported Movember by growing a “mo”, raising almost 50 million dollars for charity. This year’s figures are yet to be announced – officially Movember ends on November 31 but donations are still being accepted – and the Australian branch has announced it believes it has reached the 20 million dollar mark already.

To find out more:

www.movember.org