10 Awesome Female Role Models To Talk About

Seeing who kids these days follow and emulate can be kind of disappointing. It’s easy to not notice women in pop culture who are striving to make a difference when all we get trending are girls doing lip plumping challenges. That’s the representation women in Hollywood get, one person who doesn’t define the whole. Here’s a selection of ten young, talented and creative ladies who illustrate the dynamics of being successful and using that platform to be better role models.

Gina Rodriguez

Star of the CW’s Jane the Virgin, Gina Rodriguez, won a Golden Globe but credits her win not just to hard work but to her family’s encouragement. Like many diverse actresses she is at the forefront of women portraying characters who better represent real people.

Lupita N’yongo

source:sincecombahee

Not just an Oscar winning actress but also a writer/producer/director, Lupita has also cast light on pushing for more opportunities to reflect the aspirations of anyone who dreams of seeing themselves on screen.

Anna Akana

source:soho-city

Anna Akana is the creator of funny and inspiring vlogs dealing with subjects such as minority stereotypes, rape and suicide prevention. Her work has helped her attain a crazy number of subscribers that has given her a platform for her short films (which she produced, wrote, directed and starred in.) She is a survivor of suicide and works to support not only people dealing with suicidal thoughts, but their families as well.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson’s #HeForShe campaign has inspired a social media movement around the world to get this current generation of men and women to promote redefining what it means to be a feminist. Her work has been dedicated to get rid of the stigma of the word in order to propel more change within gender roles in society.

Demi Lovato

Former Disney kid Demi Lovato has struggled publicly with an eating and bi-polar disorder which deeply affected her career but also influenced her to use her fame to cast a light on overcoming her personal challenges. She showed her fans and others with similar experiences that there is hope and help.

Janelle Monae

Songwriter, composer, soul and R&B singer Janelle Monae has created her own signature identity as a performer that often gets criticized. Monae shakes it off by embracing her sense of self and encouraging others to be themselves outside of whats expected.

Ellen Page

source:kristewn

Lizzie Velasquez

source: womenofdifferentfaces

Born with a rare disease that prevents her from accumulating body fat, Lizzie Velasquez is a motivational speaker who has spoken out against bullying. Though she was bullied throughout her childhood, when she was a teen, an image of her on a YouTube video entitled “World’s Ugliest Woman” went viral. Instead of retaliating or giving in, she choose to empower and teach others to end bullying. In 2013, she had her own video go viral of her TEDx talk called “How do YOU define yourself?”and now, her documentary “A Brave Heart” is taking the world by storm, and won the audience award at SXSW 2015 and is premiering at the Newport Film Festival this week.

Issa Rae

Another YouTube sensation is Issa Rae whose web series Mis-Adventures of Awkard Black Girl gained her acclaim as a fresh and new comedic voice that tackles being “awkward and black”. Her success has led her to start her own venture ColorCreative.tv to give underrepresented voices the opportunity to get their work produced. She works to circumvent the traditional studio pilot process to get stories that better represent audiences out there.

Taylor Swift

Singer-songwriter Swift has grown up in the music industry heavily scrutinized. Despite that, she’s demonstrated self-awareness and growth into a positive role model figure. As a pop star she has used her power to show her fans appreciation and imparts them with motivation to be their best selves.

Who are your favorite young role models? Let us know in the comments below who else should be celebrated for inspiring others!

Sassy Mama in LA