body
Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.
Long Live Aggressive Women
I am an aggressive woman. Not too long ago this label would have mortified me. Being aggressive and direct are masculine identified traits, and I was taught from a young age to be softer; yielding. Women are taught to take what others offer with poise. To internalize every judgment, slight, or act of violence and transform it, within the crucible of our bodies, into love and forgiveness. As I’ve grown older, and more aware of the inequities within our society, it has become clear to me how convenient this docile perception of femininity is to the current power structure. I have also gained the ability to articulate how painful this expectation is. Not only to me, but to all women and people of minority experience who have been told that their success and personhood is tied to their ability to perform, and to provide for those who fail to recognize their intrinsic value.
By Leigh Green6 years ago in Viva
How I Learned to Love My Period. Created with: INTIMINA.
On April 26, 2006, I had a near-death experience. Or so I thought. It was a regular Wednesday morning. I was a regular fifth-grader in a regular town, and the sky was its regular blue; I thought this would just be another regular day. That is, until I ran to the bathroom before catching the school bus. I never made it onto the bus.
By Jules Fortman6 years ago in Viva
Best Ways to Beat Period Blues
That time of the month can be sometimes be unpleasant, to say the least. From exhaustion to cramps and cravings, there can be many things that can make it difficult to deal with. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't things you can do to try to improve the situation. If you find yourself dreading your period, here are a few things to try that might make it a little more bearable.
By Paisley Hansen6 years ago in Viva
Women's Greatest Asset
We Women have an incredible asset which is hardly spoken about and very often considered an annoying burden. In a society that always expects us to be ready to go and on top of our game, it's hard to believe that a woman's menstrual cycle is actually her secret weapon.
By Antonia Lyons6 years ago in Viva
Molested
My earliest memories consist of being at my grandma’s house and playing barbies with my cousins. Legos, barbies, and cartoons all children like myself wanted... But why did he start touching me like that? What makes someone think to do that to a young child? Did he learn that from someone else or did it happen to him as well? Regardless of the reason, it was happening to me... I never really understood what was going on just that it happened often and not by only one person.. My whole life has been sexualized, I just can’t get away from it. It happened for 5 years I grew up with it... being touched in between my legs had become the norm for me.. playing daddy and mommy, being a patient, being a toy... I’m not even sure how I feel about it even today... He and they took something from me but I don’t remember what it was or if I can even say I’ve ever had it... is that why I’m so messed up now? Am I trying to heal myself by being messed up in the head today? Doubtful... It took him getting caught by his sister for me to finally talk up. She knew what he was doing to me. She recognized what he was doing, because he had done that to her too... my cousin a few yours older than myself knew what her big brother was doing to me and wanted to stop him... she saw a 9 year old girl being taken advantage of, I wonder what went through her mind.. no one talks about it anymore so I can’t just ask her...
By Tarajee Thorne6 years ago in Viva
