The current state of the female gender depends wildly upon whether or not women are of the western culture. However, since the majority of the world and other societies looks upon western culture for direction and influence, women everywhere have similar guidelines and oppressions bestowed on them. Females are constantly told to be nearly emaciating thin, almost impossibly fit with Britney Spear's-like abs, too sexy for any age, and beyond anatomically correct. And, females have to appear stunningly gorgeous at every second of every day. Women have to be sexy and classy at the same time, which is a complete contradiction. Females do have more options than nowadays, they can work outside of the home and hold almost any position, yet are still paid less than any man in that same position. Today's females may not face the same oppressions and rules of society as the females of your time, but they still struggle to be equal to men.
There are numerous magazines and advertisements showing extremely frail and skinny women who are "models" depicting what the norms of fashion and society should look like. Yet these models look nothing like the average women, forcing young females to starve and physically alter their bodies through dangerous surgery. The models wear clothes that perfectly fit their tiny, perfect bodies and have perfectly done makeup, making any females whom are not that thin to feel ugly when trying to imitate the models" looks. Not only are the model's standards of beauty just about impossible to achieve because of computer airbrushing and alterations, but because these so called "models" that represent women are one in a million (so to speak).
The television and other visual media sources also make celebrities the models of society. Female celebrities are shunned if they do not look as thin as the magazine and advertisement models, therefore, they also are forced to lose as much weight as possible and become extremely fit.