“Amazon India, Stop profiting from colourism” - Young woman launches campaign

Amazon Prime's recent blockbuster show 'Made in Heaven-2' addresses many social issues including colourism. However, Nguvu Change Leader Santa Sylvia found it ironic that Amazon's Indian shopping site continues to sell fairness products and is profiting from colourism. Having suffered discrimination because of her skin colour from a very young age, Amazon India’s blatant promotion of thousands of colourism products has triggered her traumatic past for Santa.

She recalls, "At school, I was always cast as Satan because I was dark-skinned. Almost everyone starting from family to friends, teachers etc made me feel worthless and incapable of succeeding at a vocation or in life. This led me to stop socialising and try different fairness creams with the hope that someday I would become fairer. I am glad that Amazon's popular show 'Made in Heaven-2' addressed colourism but selling fairness creams simultaneously, is hypocritical. My campaign intends to make Amazon India aware of the discrepancy between its messaging and tangible action."

Through her online petition (https://www.change.org/stopsellingcolourism), Santa also wants to highlight that the roots of colourism lie in the normalisation of the idea that only fair skin is lovely. Her petition calls out even film stars who change their naturally dusky skin with lightening treatments.

Says Santa, "This directly tells their audience that being dark-skinned is not beautiful. The cosmetics industry has capitalized on this mindset and our collective insecurities by launching fairness creams and brightening products. My campaign intends to be a counterpoint to this."

Last year, a global outcry over racial attacks forced the biggest cosmetic giant in the world, Unilever, to change the name of their bestselling product 'Fair and Lovely'. It was a significant first step and Santa hoped other brands would follow. But fairness products still continue to be produced, marketed, and sold. Santa says, "I’ve started the campaign because I believe it is important to hold accountable not just the brands but also the platforms that sell them. Out of curiosity, I searched the word “fairness” on the Amazon India shopping site and got over 4000 results."

Through her online petition - #StopSellingColorism #CelebrateYou, Santa is asking Amazon India to stop the sale of all kinds of fair products on their website and app. She adds," I believe it will send out a powerful message if Amazon sets a positive example for other e-commerce companies to follow. They pulled fairness products from their site in the US after activists pointed out that such products are not only racist but also dangerous as they contain toxic levels of mercury. I believe that this is actionable for India too. Amazon can use its influence to help create a world that brings dark-skinned children out of their cocoon and ends the discrimination that has gone on for decades and centuries."