The content we see on Instagram nowadays can have a direct influence on how we feel mentally. Therefore, I highly recommend filling your Instagram page with inspirational and motivational women. A while back I unfollowed a lot of accounts that made me feel bad about myself and forced societal ideals. Now my Instagram feed is filled with inspirational women who have taught me a lot about self-love and female empowerment. The women I now follow on Instagram show me what confidence, bravery and courage look like. Here are my top 10 favourite female-led Instagram accounts that have each inspired me in their individual ways.
1. @mikzazon
If you choose to only follow one of the women from this list, let it be Mik Zazon. This wonderful woman’s page allows you to feel welcomed and be whoever you are. She is a huge advocate for normalizing normal bodies. She is constantly posting photos of her untouched skin and body to show how bodies naturally are, rather than the edited, false versions we usually see on Instagram daily. Her Instagram is a place where you go to feel safe and loved as well as a place to work on loving your body. She posts about self-care, mental health, body positivity, surviving eating disorders, trauma and abusive relationships. She knows what it feels like to not belong in her own skin, therefore, shares her own experiences to help other women find courage and self-love.
2. @maryscupofteaa
Okay, I lied, if you choose to only follow one of the women from this list, you MUST follow Mary Jelkovsky. Mary’s light shines so brightly that whenever I see her on my feed, I instantly feel better. She is another huge advocate of self-love. She focuses on body image as she has struggled with eating disorders in her past. She talks about taboo subjects that most influencers stay away from such as period products, sex toys and how to feel confident in your sex life. Her honesty, enthusiasm and love welcome you to her page so openly that you feel as though you are best friends. She holds worldwide self-love retreats and I am so excited to be going to my first one over zoom in April! She also has a TEDx Talk on YouTube that I urge you to check out. If you want to work on self-love, whether that be accepting your body, mental health or just yourself in general, give Mary a follow (and subscribe to her newsletter)!
3. @fatfabfeminist
I am a new follower of Victoria Abraham and I have not regretted it for a second. She is a 20-year-old social justice activist. She always has up-to-date information about issues going on worldwide, why we should care and how we should help. She talks about a number of things such as racism, sexism, homophobia, fatphobia, mental health and the list only continues. She is very insightful and keeps you up to date on what individuals’ opinions are on situations going on around the world (not necessarily always facts but opinions).
4. @aoc
If you do not follow this congresswoman already, you are missing out BIG TIME. At only 29 years old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the youngest woman ever to be elected to the house of representatives. She keeps followers up to date on American and worldwide issues from a political, economic and social standpoint. As she is so young, I think she explains important issues incredibly well to younger generations in order for them to understand. She takes time to answer questions about current events and usually streams or posts in-depth lives or reels about everything you should know. Her account is not just for Americans as a lot of the issues she talks about on Instagram can be seen in countries worldwide, including Canada. These issues include racism, systemic inequalities, unjust education systems, environmental degradation, COVID-19 and SO much more. You can see all of this and how AOC is a strong powerful woman through her Instagram. Other than the reasons above, she is just a badass role model who is relatable, powerful, honest and always exploding with bravery.
5. @selamdebs
Selam Debs is an Ethiopian-Canadian woman who was born in Jordan and now resides in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. I was first introduced to her when I was watching the virtual Anti-Racism town hall hearing for the Waterloo region this past July. Her speech blew me away. The power, passion, honesty and bravery she had in telling her personal experiences was inspirational. It is actually on YouTube and I think everyone should listen to it. It is at 26:18 that you will find the beginning of Selam’s 10-minute speech. I wrote down several things she had to say and learned from her. Her Instagram is the same as her speech from the hearing. It is powerful and informative as well as honest. She has daily posts about Black and Indigenous advocacy and antiracism. Her Instagram inspires me as a white woman to do more, learn more, advocate more and educate more. I cannot emphasize enough that a follow of Selam Debs would enhance your being as a human. Give Selam a follow and click the link in her bio to register for a course on antiracism.
6. @glennondoyle
Glennon Doyle is the author of the incredible book Untamed. I am almost done reading the book but within the first few chapters, I gave her a follow on Instagram and instantly loved her social media! I quite enjoy her page as her content is a little different from other creatives. She posts regular content for sure, but the thing that intrigues me the most about her page is the videos she posts of her and her wife’s communication. Glennon and her wife Abbey post videos of how they communicate with different issues that occur here and there in everyday life. I think it’s very influential and inspiring to see what healthy communication looks like in a relationship. Glennon also posts a lot of other significant content about being a warrior and overcoming different demons!
7. @shetravelledtheworld
Courtney Leopard is one of my all-time favorite travelers to follow on social media. If you have a travel bug like me, she is the girl to follow! She is a solo traveling goddess who is always posting tips and guides to travel. As a solo traveler, she has also perfected the craft of self-timers and often posts camera/travel picture tips. She is constantly answering questions about travel and her tips are very helpful. She inspires me to be more independent and eventually I will get to do some post-pandemic solo travel due to her influence. Her page is incredibly aesthetically pleasing due to her impressive photography skills. She is also just a stunningly beautiful woman who dresses extremely well (and always links where her clothes are from)!
8. @lexielimitless
This is another account for my travel lovers! Lexie Alford is the youngest person to travel to every country. That’s right! At 21 years old, Lexie traveled to 196 countries, breaking a Guinness world record! She posts beautiful pictures from around the world and captions them with meaningful stories or important information about the country! In her Instagram stories, you can tell she is a kind, gentle soul who wants to respectfully learn about different cultures and experience the world. I truly admire her.
9. @gretathunberg
I think by now we should all know the name of Greta Thunberg. Whether that be for her activism skills or her making Donald Trump look like a fool, she is truly an icon. I am absolutely obsessed with this 18-year-old climate and environmental activist and love getting information from her. Her Instagram is constantly keeping me up to date with current climate events. She is such an inspiring individual who proves that no matter what age or gender you are or whatever disability you may have, you can achieve anything.
10. @redcarpetgirlz
At only 6 years old, Zaza is one of the most iconic girls currently walking on planet earth. If you creep her page for two minutes you will be able to tell we are living in her world. I can always hop on Zaza’s page and immediately feel happy within minutes. She is sassy, cute and simply iconic. Her dance moves, raps, outfits and model poses can brighten up anyone’s day. If you really want to watch a star grow up, give Zaza a follow now because things are only going to go up from here.
A couple more iconic women to check out on Instagram are @michellekhare, @adalia06, @malala, @kamalaharris,@refinery29 and @best.dressed. I hope you enjoyed my list of the top 10 inspiring women to follow on Instagram! I truly urge you to check some of them out as they have all helped and inspired me in so many different ways!