Kimberlyn Jaggers

As long as we can remember, women have had to face insurmountable hurdles and overcome great impediments that have contributed to women’s insecurities for centuries. Women across the world have had to fight for basic human rights such as voting, owning property, and walking without an escort. Sadly, some of our fellow women are still fighting for these rights in other parts of the world to this day. However, the 21st century has generally brought about a significant reduction in some of these practices against women. Many traditional practices and beliefs that traditionally contributed to women’s insecurities, like gender bias, workplace inequalities, gender-based violence, and social stigmas, were issues modern women thought were behind us. But just when women had begun to walk in light of this progress, a new and unexpected challenge has emerged, reviving women’s struggles with insecurities yet again. The Rise of the Digital Era The digital era, also known as the Digital Revolution or Information Age, began in the mid-twentieth century. It has been marked by the transition from traditional industries to an economy centered on information technology. This has had a profound impact on women, bringing both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities the digital world has opened for women include: Economic Empowerment Digital technologies have opened new job opportunities, particularly in tech and remote work, allowing women to balance work and family responsibilities more effectively. Education and Skills Development Online learning platforms have made education more accessible, enabling women to acquire new skills and advance their careers. Entrepreneurship The internet has provided a platform for women entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses, reaching global markets with minimal investment. Advocacy and Activism Social media and digital tools have empowered women to advocate for their rights, raise awareness about gender issues, and mobilize support for social causes. While [...]

Why is it that women feel that they need to look pretty to be valuable? Unfortunately, there are a lot of reasons this belief has taken root. The world screams that “image is everything” not only in words, but in action. Open a fashion magazine, any magazine really, and you will likely find impossibly thin and flawlessly beautiful women gracing the pages. Perfectly curated and meticulously edited photos of the world’s most beautiful women are used to sell everything from clothing and beauty products to food, cars, and even cleaning products. While the overt message in these ads is “Buy my product,” the underlying and damaging message is, “You have to be physically perfect to be beautiful.” How We Got Here How did we get to this shallow and damning place? From an early age, girls are force-fed edited photos in magazines, on television, and in movies. You’ve probably heard the term “Sex sells.” The unfortunate truth is that that raw statement is embarrassingly true. Jean Kilbourne, a pioneering feminist critic, brought the issue of impossible beauty standards in Hollywood and advertisements in her documentary series Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women in 1979. The series took a critical look at ways in which advertisements depict women, often reducing them to mere objects, and discussed the social implications of these practices. Although awareness of this phenomenon has helped to inspire some companies to use more “average” people in their advertising, the impossibly perfect depiction of women persists. And with that persistence comes the damaging message that perfection is the benchmark for beauty. Toys like the Barbie doll contribute to building young girls’ idea of ideal beauty. With unrealistic body proportions and superhuman good looks, the Barbie doll has long served as a silent teacher of what beauty “should” [...]