Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Body Image and What It Has You Believing...
Here it is... I can't speak for everyone but I know a lot of women and men feel like I do. I have friends and loved ones in the same position. So, I am speaking from my experiences but, of course, this may touch all of you.
By Wynter Snowe-Gem8 years ago in Viva
I Think I Was Sexually Harassed?
#MyWorstDate I was seeking companionship online. I don't get out much and online dating was my best option. I've never had the utmost confidence in myself on a continual basis. Sometimes I found that I was cute, but I never really thought more than that. I figured dating online was my only way to find a decent guy. My low self-esteem and self-worth, combined with this particular guy I met is what made me begin to think differently about myself.
By Katrina Carr8 years ago in Viva
Is My Birth Control Giving Me Anxiety?
I have been a faithful friend to hormonal birth control methods for over fourteen years now. Mostly oral contraceptives to start, and switching to hormonal IUD’s a little later on. This hadn’t been a significant fact until recently, when I started doing a little digging into my health, and some of the health hiccups I’d undergone throughout my teenage years and now into my twenties.
By Em McMahon8 years ago in Viva
Debunked Myths About Your Vagina
We live in a society that seems to be obsessed with both female sexuality and female anatomy. Though we constantly gab and debate about the female body, as a society, we're really ignorant about how the equipment works down there. Hell, even gynecologists don't really seem to know as much as they should have the time.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Viva
The Shocking Messages We Are Sending Our Children
It recently came to my attention that the number of children’s books containing female protagonists is alarmingly low. My mother sent me a video with some disturbing statistics about the lack of female role models in children’s literature, urging me to start writing children’s books. We know that stereotypes develop early-on. Socialisation as children is a huge part of determining how men and women will be treated as adults. Therefore, it is shocking to see how men and women are portrayed and how young boys and girls are being socialised into seeing these grossly unfair stereotypes as normal.
By Hannah Petch8 years ago in Viva
Queen Cardi: The Takeover is Life Changing
From early on, female rappers have set out into the world of rap and hip-hop like hell on heels. Female MC's without a doubt have often times been heavily underrated. From MC Lyte to Da Brat to Lil Kim, Nikki Minaj, and hell yeah, Missy Elliot too!Female rappers have not only had to prove themselves lyrically but also have to fight for their identities. Whether out or not, a female rapper is portrayed as a masculine force. The rationale for lyrical skill can only be underplayed in a patriarchal world as having some sort of connection to masculinity. For some, it has been the labeling of being a lesbian or bisexual and for others, it has been the blatant label of being a whore. For some, the labels have led to defense or full body embracement such as what we saw with Lil Kim. But then what happens? The lights dim and the need to appease or to defend overshadows why they came into the game in the first place, which is why I would argue we have had wack male rappers in the spotlight so much longer than talented female rappers.
By Susie Estrada8 years ago in Viva
Fat Girl Fabulous
Ink and Blood and Soul I've grown up writing. Putting thoughts and ideas and feelings down on paper. Now I go to school full time and I write even more. I'm about to go to grad school and when I get there, I'll have to write my dissertation. Writing is a part of my soul. Like breathing or sleeping or drinking. Maybe it's more a part of me than any of those things. Breathing and sleeping and eating are facts of life. I enjoy them. I need them. They don't really touch my soul, though. Writing does that. It offers expression to the inexpressible, like art or dance. Arranging words on the page is like writing a symphony. Taking note of every syllable and sound. The soft whoosh of sh followed by the sharp, clipped p in ship. When I write I try to take these sounds and arrange them in a way that makes my heart hurt. It is as though my heart is speaking. When I open my mouth to speak the words come out jumbled and out of order but when I write, it is the purest form of expression. I'm writing this article because I believe I have something to say but I'm really not sure how to say it. The thoughts are fractured and messy and beautiful as they are. This is my attempt to show you the beautiful, crazy mess inside my head, spoken through my heart.
By Kristen Campbell8 years ago in Viva
Low Self-Esteem
In the United Kingdom, three-quarters of the women who live there are unhappy with the shape of their bodies. In addition, a whopping 6 out of 10 feel their bodies make them depressed. If there are this many women in the U.K who are unhappy with the way they look, imagine how many women are in the world that feels this exact same way. There are many causes of low self-esteem and there are many ways to overcome it.
By Amy Zeigler8 years ago in Viva
A Woman Is...
A woman plays many roles in her lifetime, starting with being somebody's daughter. From there, she learns how to be a friend to her peers, and later, she learns how to be a girlfriend, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. With all these different roles, when does a woman get time for herself, and who is she really?
By Denise Willis8 years ago in Viva
