The advent of the internet and social media has led to a storm of viral sensations. While these viral sensations come and go, there are a myriad of themes which have caught the obsession of the American populace. From the love-hate relationship with the Kardashians and Donald Trump to the theme of accepting all appearances, some themes seem to have more staying power than others. One theme that has had staying power, and has been very divisive among females especially, is that of female empowerment. The idea is hugely popular right now, but has taken many different forms, some of which have been controversial to those supporting the empowerment of women.
Perhaps female empowerment has gained so much momentum, in part because the different ways in which women define it. Some women define it by the ability to show their bodies freely; some of the latest Kardashian tweets and the antics of Miley Cyrus prove that. Bubble dresses that barely cover and breaking the internet only create short term sensations. They use their nude bodies in the name of female empowerment. Kim Kardashian recently penned an essay in response to people’s reactions to her latest new, photos in part saying, “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexualityAnd I hope that through this platform I have been given, I can encourage the same empowerment for girls and women all over the world” ("Kim Kardashian Pens Powerful Essay On Nudity And Empowerment", n.p.). While Kim Kardashian asserts that her nudity empowers her, there are those who disagree. For instance, one opinion article states, “Kardashian needs to realize there is so much more to female empowerment than going naked whenever she wants[or] people like Malala Yousafzai wouldn’t be risking her life daily to fight for female education” (St. Jean, n.p.). No matter a person’s opinion, that so many people have an opinion is a testament to the popularity of the subject.
While some celebrities bring attention to female empowerment through their bodies, others speak out through organizations such as the United Nations. Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations for a program called HeForShe. The idea is to bring all genders together to further the cause of female equality. Not only has the United Nations adopted this program, it also has created UN Women. UN Women has seven principles regarding female empowerment. They are as follows:
1. Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
2. Treat all women and men fairly at work—respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination
3. Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
4. Promote education, training and professional development for women
5. Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women
6. Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
7. Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality
("Women’s Empowerment Principles", n.p.)
The HeForShe program also seeks to empower men insofar as women need fathers as a part of their life.
While I am affected directly by women’s empowerment in the United States, I am in awe of the women seeking empowerment in other nations. There is a website called Women Empowered Afghanistan that shares some startling statistics. For instance, 85.1% of Afghan women have no formal education ("Helping Empower The Woman Of Afghanistan", n.p.). For women who do work, they make an average of 48 cents each day ("Helping Empower The Woman Of Afghanistan", n.p.). Only 13% of women are even literate ("Helping Empower The Woman Of Afghanistan", n.p.). While no country has managed to fully empower women, or come close to gender equality, countries like Afghanistan are trailing horribly. While they may be trailing behind, many women are stepping up to help empower others. In regards to empowering women in Afghanistan, the consequences of doing so could result in, “the education and empowerment of girls and women are likely to decrease the influence of the Taliban and extremism. When Afghan girls and women know their legal rights they can speak for themselves, vote to determine their own futures” ("Helping Empower The Woman Of Afghanistan", n.p.). Again, this is an excellent example of how popular women’s empowerment has become. Even in a country where women get such little education, and have so few opportunities to improve their lot, there are still women seeking to empower each other.
Since female empowerment also includes accepting women’s bodies, even if they are not a size 2, there even has been a shift in the advertiser’s portrayal of women. For instance, the Dove Beauty campaign features women of different ages, colors and body types. One part of the campaign which has always stood out to me is one where a police sketch artist sketched the women how they described themselves, and then how another person described them. The difference was immense, and shows how women often underestimate themselves. Not only is the ad campaign memorable, it is also profitable. A survey showed that 52% of women have purchased a product because of the positive way in which the advertising portrayed women and 46% of women have begun following a specific brand name on social media because of the positive advertising (Stampler, n.p.). That is amazing response to an advertising campaign, and an example of how opinions are changing in regards to how women want to be seen as a group.
Female empowerment is a serious issue in modern society. While women have long sought equality, the idea of being truly empowered to be whatever one wants as a woman is new ground. It is not long ago where a female in a profession such as a doctor or lawyer was unheard of; now they are making a mark in male dominated fields. Women are growing small businesses at a higher rate than men are. Women in third world countries are beginning to stand up and demand to be noticed. Women in the United States are already so far ahead concerning many aspects of female empowerment, but we still have a long way to go. Until women are not judged harshly on their looks, make as much as men do, receive as much research and medical care as males and more, women will never be fully empowered.
Works Cited
"Helping Empower The Woman Of Afghanistan". Weafghanistan.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
"Kim Kardashian Pens Powerful Essay On Nudity And Empowerment". The Huffington Post. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Stampler, Laura. "Surveyed Women Say These 10 Brands Are Nailing Pro-Female Ads". TIME.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
St. Jean, Christina. "Kim Kardashian Not Empowered, Only Rich And Likely Confused". The Inquisitr News. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
"Women’s Empowerment Principles". United Nations. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
