7 Awesome Hashtags For Female Empowerment

Here are 7 amazing social media campaigns that show the tides are turning for women in our culture.

1. #IAmPerfect

Via dearkates.com

When Victoria's Secret unveiled their recent campaign for their "Body" line, which features very thin women behind the title The Perfect "Body", it seems that few were pleased. In fact, massive backlash was expressed through the hashtag #iamperfect. Women across the country have expressed their disappointment that the company would still imply that there is a narrow definition of the perfect body. Several companies (including Dove, Dear Kate, and JD Wiliams) joined in the conversation by posting their own versions of the ad, all of which featured more diverse groups of women.

2. #YesAllWomen

Via philanthropy.com

This massive movement on Twitter gained traction after the tragic shooting in Santa Barbara, CA in which a man targeted young women and published a disturbing and misogynistic manifesto that blamed women for his feelings of rejection. In response to the hashtag "#NotAllMen" (which argued that not all men are sexist, dangerous, etc.), Twitter began discussing examples of everyday burdens that women experience. This opened the door wider for discussions about the sexist mentalities that are deeply engrained in our society, perhaps so deeply that we sometimes forget what a problem they are.

3. #HeForShe

Via heforshe.org

HeForShe is a "solidarity movement for gender equality" according to UN Women's website for the cause. At HeForShe's kickoff event in New York on September 20, 2014, spokesperson Emma Watson delivered a speech that went viral and drew attention to the need to involve men and boys in discussions about gender equality. As the campaign seeks to acknowledge, all of society benefits from gender equality--not just women--which is part of why it should matter to men, too.

4. #SupermodelAstronaut

Via worldwidegroovecorp.com

Worldwide Groove Corporation might be better known for speaking out about GMO labeling (see here), but they're also speaking out for female empowerment with this video and hashtag. #SupermodelAstronaut invites viewers to "take the challenge" and end negative self-talk, accepting the statement "I am enough."

5. #FeelBeautifulFor

Via dove.us

#FeelBeautifulFor is the most recent iteration of Dove's 10 year campaign for Real Beauty. The campaign has always moved to diversify our culture's definition of beauty and celebrate everyday women as beautiful. Dove recently shared a short video called "Legacy" which discusses the impact a woman's self-esteem has on the girls and women around her. A mother's self-esteem, for example, has a huge impact on her daughter's body image and even her vocabulary for speaking about herself. Dove encourages women to #feelbeautifulfor the girls and women they influence.

6. #KissTheMirror

Via youtu.be

Speaking of Dove... Meaghan Ramsey of Dove's Self-Esteem Project recently gave a TED talk (the video of which has been shared countless times via the inter webs) that highlights "why thinking you're ugly is bad for you." She shares how research shows that "low body confidence is undermining academic achievement", damaging health, and wounding the economy. #KissTheMirror encourages people to celebrate their own appearance the way a young child would, accepting that appearance is a mere facet of one's whole self. Rather than focus on negative self-talk and low self-esteem, Ramsey encourages us to create a culture in which people's actions are praised more than their figures.

7. #LeanIn

Via en.wikipedia.org

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has a wildly intimidating resume, and she's using her experience to encourage other women. Her 2013 book, "Lean In", pushes women to pursue their careers with confidence rather than shying away in the workplace. Through LeanIn.org and #LeanIn, women are being encouraged to achieve professional goals through hard work, confidence, and solidarity.