PhilSTAR L!fe Recommends: Instagram accounts that promote female empowerment
It's not only during International Women's Day or Women's Month that we should celebrate women, it should be every day!
If you need some inspiration to put yourself in a good mood or boost your self-confidence, check out these Instagram accounts. From spot-on memes to thought-provoking quotes and accounts that promote positive feminism, here's what the staff of PhilSTAR L!fe recommends.
@adriannehaslet
Adrianne Haslet is a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. She lost her left leg after the tragedy but has actively continued running as an amputee. She has since then been an outspoken advocate for amputees, hitting the talk circuit by sharing her messages of empowerment. Aside from being a well-spring of athletic motivation, her IG page is also an authentic peek into her own struggles, never shying from being upfront with the demons and vulnerabilities that like any other human, she also grapples with regularly.
— Bim Santos, News head
@shafakelif
I love her books! Her IG is only a little bit of an introduction to her work as a women’s rights activist, but it’s out there. Shafak is a Trukish-British writer who has published 18 books in both Turkish and English. Her nonfiction work includes essays on minority rights, politics and freedom of speech. On her IG she sometimes posts about people reading her books, which is a great way to know about her novels and why people enjoy them.
@morganharpernichols
Ever since I discovered Morgan Harper Nichols on Instagram, I already lose count on how many times I visited her IG profile and reposted her works. She’s my major poet crush!
Nichols hypnotizes us through her artworks paired with her relatable words, which mostly tackles wisdom, faith, self-love, inspiration, and female empowerment. I admire her creative process and courage to stand out!
One of my favorite quotes from her, and a good one to remember says: “She does not let other people’s inability to see her worth cause her to forget what she is worth to God.”
— Red Dimaandal, social media manager
@thestorytellerco
If inspirational messages fuel your days, you might want to check out The Storyteller Co. This Instagram account spotlights words and art by well-loved poet Morgan Harper Nichols, tackling a myriad of mishaps we all might know and fear. What makes it better than Nichols' IG herself is it features some pieces in their long, raw form that can provide not only warm hugs when we need them but also little reminders that we are not alone in our struggles.
— Brooke Villanueva, content producer
@PinaysCanSTEM
Pinays Can STEM showcases a wide array of Filipina scientists and women in the field! Even if I'm not in the STEM field myself, I find their regular features inspiring — and even get little eye-opening tidbits from their infographics.
— Saab Lariosa, content producer
@tessholliday
As one of the well-known plus-size models in the world, Tess Holliday uses that leverage to unapologetically redefine the shape of beauty and be part of the movement to represent plus-size women in beauty and fashion.
Holliday’s Instagram account, with over two million followers to date, is her platform to celebrate her advocacies, including her long-running and highly successful #EffYourBeautyStandards campaign that shuts down the abrasive beauty standards plucked by a handful of people that has been ingrained in society for so long.
In 2019, Holliday walked the Chromat runway at the New York Fashion Week wearing a dress with “Sample Size” emblazoned all over it, a jab at the extremely limiting size samples in the fashion industry.
She does not hold back—whether soaking up the sun in a two-piece bikini, enjoying a sensual Boudoir photo shoot or speaking up about causes and movements that she supports such as feminism, mental health, racial and gender equality. She is also a staunch ally of the LGBT community (she recently came out as pansexual).
On her Instagram account, she engages her trolls to keep the conversation going about fatphobia. She once said, “It’s strange to me that fat people get vilified for being ‘monsters’ but not the people who verbally abuse us daily.”
Beyond the body positivity and self-love she promotes, Tess Holliday knows she is a gorgeous, fat woman—and she is proud of it.
— Pinky Icamen, content producer
@femalecollective
Female Collective is a platform "where women are celebrated, uplifted, supported, and empowered everyday." Founded by activist Candace Reels, Female Collective features quotes that promote self-love and mental health.
— Camille Santiago, associate editor