Girl Power

Miss Ohlala explores today’s usage of the word ‘empowerment’ and why not everything is as it seems.

We’ve all been there, unifying ourselves as one with the embellished use of ‘girl power’, may it be in the workplace, at home or indeed anywhere for that matter and such acts should be celebrated and nurtured - shouldn’t they?

Since the late 90s and early 00s, consumerism masked as ‘girl power’ i.e. watered-down, novel feminism, has been used to sell stuff to young women and women alike in the name of women’s rights. Unfortunately buying sporty silk tracksuit pants won’t make you empowered, but more-so the bank.

This, ironically, is doing the opposite. Weight Watchers and Spanx have been tapping into the inner-feminist of many modern girls by assuring their products will unleash a dose of empowerment and ‘sticking it to the man’. Of course, the ideals of both an expensive diet and slimming underwear feed the male gaze, all while making megabucks.

Some would rightly argue that sucking your podgy belly in with Lycra and ordering a pack of gluten-free ready meals on Amazon is not, in fact, empowering; it’s consumerism with a quite translucent mask on - no detoxifying properties here!

All of this hoo-hah about “reclaiming” and “accepting” areas of our bodies/lives is ingrained in a very important conversation that needs to be had. But not in regards to empowerment.

If you’re growing out your armpit hair/snail trail/miscellaneous zones, then good for you! We’re all very genuinely proud you have the ability to rise above unrelenting social norms and kick the razor. But, if you’re uttering “I’m reclaiming my fuzz once and for all!” well, you don’t need to be empowered.

Because, if one of your priorities is sending your BFF a snapchat of your newly organic pits, you most likely aren’t reclaiming anything but a boost in self-confidence and friendship personal points. Celebrating female body hair and other feminist acts is amazing and positive and I’m glad you’re doing so, but look a little deeper.

Girls and women and indeed other sidelined members of society that actually need to reclaim their bodies, sexualities and power genuinely need empowerment to be equal members of society.

Take young women and prepubescent girls in areas such as Nigeria and South Africa who are victims of breast ironing. Methods of breast ironing include the use of hot stones, hammers or even heated spatulas in order to disfigure developing chests. It’s a shocking reality many girls as young as eight or nine are experiencing, and mothers - although under the impression they are doing something positive - are the biggest perpetrators. They’re some of those who really need those empowering hashtag and body ownership campaigns.

The repeated abuse of middle class, well-to-do people “reclaiming” their healthy, happy bodies acts like a watering can on critical work that needs to be done to give the most marginalised people on the planet more visibility.

So, let us dig a little deeper, open our hearts AND eyes to the reality of what empowerment truly is and be distinctively selfless.