The Effects of Skin Bleaching in Ghana

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Recommended: Colorism and racism

This paper looks at the ways Ghanaian people rationalize their use of skin bleaching products. In it, I examine the forces that encourage their manipulation of their physical appearance self-image as well as the psychological and physical effects colorism and skin bleaching has had on the people of Ghana.
The idea of colorism is not new. It is only recently that a name was placed on this ideology and it has been studied as such. Populations of countries such as Ghana have been lightening their skin even before they were exposed to the European ideas of beauty and power. The increase in skin whiting can be attributed to the growth of technology, the mass media, and other ways of communication (Hunter 2011). New forms of communication have exposed people around the world to Western concepts of beauty that they would not have been otherwise exposed to. With their ideas of attractiveness and success, Europeans have taken every step to destroy the image non-whites have of themselves. This has allowed for people in what we consider Third World countries to relate skin color to access of resources and privileges (Hunter 2011). These are the same tactics that have been used around the world by Whites in their pursuit of power over non- whites.
Most beauty advertisements are geared toward women; men still feel the need to lighten their skin. Many dark-skinned people are told by beauty and cosmetic advertisements that their color is repulsive. They are repeatedly told to modify their bodies to fit the White image of beauty. This is not an isolated case in Ghana. The problem with fitting into the White image is that it does not exist (Hunter 2011 and Pierre 2008). The look that Ghanaians are trying to conform to is unrealistic. It is l...

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...an, (4): 34-36 Retrieved from on Oct 1, 2013 (http://search.proquest.com/docview/230222894?accountid=9625).
Penha-Lopes, Vânia 2012. “Affirmative Action and Racial Identity in Brazil: A Study of the First Quota Graduates at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.” Pp. 325- 342 in The Melanin Millennium: Skin Color as 21st Century International Discourse, edited by Dr. Ronald E. Hall. London , New York :Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg.
Pierre, Jemima. 2008. "'I Like Your Colour!' Skin Bleaching and Geographies of Race in Urban Ghana." Feminist Review (90):9-29 Retrieved from on Oct 6, 2013 (http://search.proquest.com/docview/212055216?accountid=9625).
Rogers, Ibram. 2006. "Study: Many Ghanaians Equate Beauty with Looking White." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 23(11):9 Retrieved from on Oct 1, 2013 (http://search.proquest.com/docview/194229565?accountid=9625).

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