SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Beauty and the Expansion of Women’s Identity

The history of women’s beauty is written in bodily gestures that express both the constraints of their culture as well as the unfolding desire of their interiority. Embracing the power of beauty has always been problematic for feminism, and for good reason. This article offers an integrative analysis of the current views that dominate feminist discourse on women’s beauty, as well as a personal story of Vanessa’s own ongoing journey as a young woman trying to reclaim her beauty for the benefit of all beings.