RIO DE JANEIRO: With this week's Rio fashion event receiving much fanfare for its scantily clad women showing off the latest in bikini and swimwear, women in the country have called on the industry to begin looking for and hiring more minorities in the country. A number of women's rights activists said that while they did not object to the idea of fashion and modeling, they argued that more minorities must become part of the industry for it to truly represent the Brazil of diversity. “We are a country that is home to a large number of minorities, black and brown women, yet the fashion world does not use them in the numbers they should,” activist and university student Melanie Cortez told Bikyanews.com on Friday as she scrolled through images of the recent fashion event in Rio. “I find it very hard to look at a bunch of white women who are wearing close to nothing, but find few darker women being hired,” she added. The event saw dozens of women take to the runway showing off the latest fashion trends, and bearing nearly all in highlighting what's in this season for swimwear. But Brazilian women want more. Former model, Alexia, who left the industry due to what she said was a growing “racism” that “was so common that it was hard to deal with.” She told Bikyanews.com that many of the non-white models were forced to have sexual contact with designers and managers “just to get jobs.” “We are a country that is diverse and has many, many non-white girls hoping to be the next great model, but the reality is they are treated as objects and sexual beings even before they get to the runway.” For her, it is about changing perceptions and ending the inherent racism that has become part of the global fashion world. “It is fine to see women naked or wearing little, but when a black woman has to do things just to get a job, it is unacceptable,” she added. BN
