Face equality explained

Face equality is a social movement that seeks to normalize and de-stigmatize facial disfigurement (FD), and, by extent, lessen prejudice towards individuals with facial disfigurements.^[1] The term and corresponding movement was founded in 2008 by UK-based charity Changing Faces.^{[2] [3]}

Face Equality Week, which Changing Faces also launched, is held annually in May. Themes for the week have included "Stop the Stare" (2022),^[4] and "We Will Not Hide" (2023). The Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan also holds a Facial Equality Day in May.^[5]

Goals

Goals of face equality include:

• Normalizing and de-stigmatizing FD, therefore lessening societal pressure to hide FD^[6]
• Addressing discrimination based on FD in employment and the workplace
• Addressing stereotypes that conflate FD with villainy
• Improving representation of individuals with FD in television and film
• Addressing and preventing the censorship of individuals with FD when posting photos and videos online

Organizations

Face Equality International (FEI), founded in 2018 by James Partridge, is a coalition of "NGOs, charities, and support groups," which promote face equality.^{[7] [8]} Groups which have joined FEI include Changing Faces (UK), the European Cleft Organisation, FACES (US), the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors (US), the Smile Foundation (South Africa), and Smile Train.^[9]

References

1. Web site: Javed . Saman . 2021-05-21 . Is it time to talk about face equality? . 2023-10-06 . The Independent . en.
2. Web site: Face Equality . 2023-10-06 . FACES . en.
3. Web site: Steinberg . Neil . 2015-06-23 . Facial discrimination: Living with a disfigured face . 2023-10-06 . CNN . en.
4. Web site: 2022-05-20 . Stop The Stare: How you can support people with visible difference for Face Equality Week 2022 . 2023-10-06 . Glamour UK . en-GB.
5. Web site: Ho . Shih-chang . Chen . Wei-han . 2015-05-09 . Group campaigns for facial equality . 2023-10-06 . Taipei Times.
6. Web site: Alexiou . Gus . Face Equality International Wants Disfigurement Recognized As A 'True Disability' . 2023-10-06 . Forbes . en.
7. Swift . Phyllida . Bogart . Kathleen . 2021 . A hidden community: Facial disfigurement as a globally neglected human rights issue . Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research . 11 . 4 . 652–657 . 10.1016/j.jobcr.2021.09.011 . 2212-4268 . 8476770 . 34611510.
8. Web site: About FEI . 2023-10-06 . Face Equality International . en-GB.
9. Web site: Whitman . Jenny . 2019-05-17 . Campaign for face equality 'becomes a global movement' with the first International Face Equality Week . 2023-10-06 . Moebius Syndrome Foundation . en-US.