There are TONS of places on the web where you can find invalidation. Whether the fitness section of Pinterest, the misogynists on Facebook or the seedy underbelly of the internet, 4chan, we don’t really ever feel welcome online. We often are informed that we aren’t good enough no matter how many unidentified green substances we jam down our throats or accolades we achieve. However, there are places that are safe on the internet for self-empowerment and loving your womanhood.
First up is my personal favorite: Slutty Girl Problems. Now, I know the name is somewhat controversial, what with slut-shaming being such a prevalent problem in today’s society, but I love this website. Every time I go on, I am super proud of these women for owning their sexuality. I personally love the articles that provide sexual advice. They’re not saying “HOW TO PLEASE YOUR MAN BECAUSE IT DETERMINES YOUR WORTH AS A WOMAN,” but rather “hey, you want to try something? Let me tell you how I’ve tried it.” That’s super refreshing.
Secondly, let’s get some body positivity: The Belly Project. I personally have always been shy about my belly. When I first became sexually active, I’d ask if I could leave my shirt on, because I didn’t want him to notice I hadn’t QUITE escaped the baby fat stage yet. So many women hate their entire bodies specifically for this 10-15 inch tall section of torso alone. We say NO MORE to this internalization of society’s expectations! The Belly Project allows viewers to see and send in their own belly pictures in order to foster the notion that EVERY belly is a beautiful one.
As if you didn’t already know what bada**es Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are. Amy has a website targeted to younger females called: Amy’s Smart Girls. If you have a little human that you want to empower, I would show them this website. The articles therein tackle everything from uplifting young female achievers to overcoming bullying to building interest in the STEM fields. Even as an adult, I go on just to see what amazing things people are doing.
Because not everyone is white, I found Beyond Black and White. Feminism often forgets those among us who aren’t white, who face not only discrimination by sex but by race as well. This website is targeted towards women of color, and I think it covers a fair bit of underrepresented feminist issues that African American women face alone. There’s even a section called “Thriving” that addresses black female empowerment and directs women to professional groups for career support, provides relationship advice for “swirling singles” and gives advice for problems faced by interracial couples.
Finally, my guilty pleasure: Popsugar. So I know upon first glance it seems light, which brought my hackles up when I first found this website. But I really appreciate the articles that focus on fitness because they’re not about looking better—they’re about achieving goals. Take for example the 30-day challenge (which I have begun and not finished several times). The focus isn’t about “getting that perfect butt” but “feeling good and feeling strong.” Even “Tabata for your Trouble Zones” is focused on building a fast, fun, effective workout that addresses multiple muscle groups, rather than “fixing” you. I also love the motherhood and Latina sections.
There you have it! These are my favorite websites for feminism and female empowerment.
HCXO
All photos are logos from the homepages of the respective websites.