First, thanks for this story, and thanks for raising your daughter to be awesome.
Second, this Tim Zobu man is an idiot!
Third, I was a young girl like yours whose mom kept her from shaving until she was more mature. Although I do suffer from anxiety, that started way before being prevented from shaving. Though I was bullied, I was bullied for all kinds of reasons, including things that NOBODY (at least not in this day and age) would want you to change to appease bullies, like being smart, being female, being Italian, being short, being skinny, reading books, dancing, not wearing a bra… Kids bully for a variety of reasons, and the reasons aren’t always clear… Trying to change yourself or your habits to please the bullies is the fastest way to anxiety, and a lifetime of questioning everything you do. The most important asset against bullies is to not give in. Those poor parents who believe they should give their children certain clothes, or allow certain behaviors to prevent bullying are complicit in the bullying of those kids who cannot change the things they are being bullied for (skin color, body size, different ability, etc.).
Fourth, to those ppl arguing that there is no pressure to shave have obviously never actually stopped shaving long enough to be on the receiving end of this pressure that is literally everywhere. I have been threatened with dismissal from a bartending job with the age-old “underarm hair is unhygienic, so you have to shave or you can’t serve drinks”. I have had a man recoil in disgust due to pubic hair, and break up with me (after professing his undying devotion) due to the fact that I refused to keep bare (though I was willing to occasionally shave). I have had many male and female friends look at me with horror an disgust when a little stray hair slipped out the side of my bikini. I have had many friends come to me to talk (without any prompting from me) about the hair that grows out of a mole on my cheek, and the long hairs on my neck. I have heard tons of unsolicited advice about laser treatments that are supposed to permanently remove hair from places “where it really shouldn’t be on a woman” (chest, areolas, chin, upper lip, cheeks), and been berated for not wanting to fork over thousands and thousands of dollars that I would rather spend on housing, education, children, transportation (you name it, pretty much ANYTHING comes first, for me), for a “treatment” that doesn’t even really work.
Fifth, my mom was (and is) a feminist hero, and she was absolutely right to prevent me from shaving until, at least, I became sexually active. She also made me strong enough to be able to withstand the pressures of various males who entered my life and who somehow felt entitled to dictating what I would do with my body, and thus show them the door. I still feel a little less sexy with my copious body hair, which quickly develops into stubble when shaved, but I estimate I save myself an average of 50 hours a year (and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, depending on the method of hair removal), by letting the hair grow most of the time. And I am very happy that I have held out for a man who doesn’t give a shit, and would never dream of asking me to conform to his preferences as far as my physical appearance goes.