Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Home life struggles.
It’s the 21st Century and in many cultures and societies today, a woman is still expected to cook, clean, take care of the kids, be at home etc. For me, I never envisioned myself being a stay at home mum by choice even though my mother did it herself until my younger sister turned 3. Hats off though to those women who are stay at home mums. It is a challenging but rewarding job indeed. As for myself, I just want to work and be a mum but I’ve been told otherwise countless times by parents, in-laws and other people with the same, old fashion mindset. I’ve heard it all - the guilt tripping, the downside to working and not being there for your kids, the missing your kids grow up speech or you’re the woman let your husband do the working speech. In all fairness, I could see where they were coming from but what I tend to forget half the time is that that is just their opinion. I do let a lot of things get to me to a point where I’m balling my eyes out, I feel like I don’t have control over my emotions, rethinking my life choices and my work choices. And this is wrong. This shouldn’t affect me at all but sometimes it does. I’m sure some of you ladies out there are going through something similar because I sure hope I’m not the only one.
Sexual Violence
The #MeToo movement has swept the nation - the world- in recent years, helping survivors of sexual violence finally have a voice. It offers a safe place to talk about your experiences and get help.
Insert Insecurity Here - A "Kinda-Sorta" Open Letter
~~~ Caution: Emotional late-night musings and ramblings lie ahead. Expect perfect form, punctuation, grammar, and logic at own risk. ~~~
Trick-or-Treat
I’ve always loved Halloween. The spook, the glitter, and everything in between. I started loving it even more as I turned into a teenager, when I started exploring more of the world around me and began to discover rituals, beliefs, and legends that belonged to the holiday. Something about exploring history makes me feel a little bit closer to humanity, you know?
Jenna Nicole LeePublished 2 days ago in Viva“Your skirt is too short”
Let’s take a look at India’s horrific rape figures — Bulandshahr girl who was raped and then set on fire was also 12-year-old. The Odisha rape victim was just 3-year-old, Banda victim was 8-year-old, Hathras victim was just 19, The list can go on and on…
The Man I Reported for Harassment Approached Me in the Grocery Store
I was putting something into my shopping cart when I noticed someone standing close to me. He aggressively pointed the toilet paper he was holding directly at my face. I glanced up to see a man I had hoped to never see again. “Stop talking shit,” came his raspy, and somewhat feminine voice.
A Conversation With My Mom
When I was in my early twenties, just after my first divorce, I had a conversation with my mother that I will never forget. We were standing in her kitchen, talking about nothing in particular, and she abruptly said, “Sarah, never put yourself in a position where you are dependent on a man. For anything.”
SE FrazierPublished 5 days ago in Viva
Formula For Success In Facing Female Entrepreneur Challenges
Although the majority of entrepreneurs are men, the industry has grown by 114% in the past twenty years. More women are starting to be entrepreneurs. 70% of those entrepreneurs are women of color. Women are becoming more interested in starting their own businesses. They still face major challenges, despite this. These are some of the challenges female entrepreneurs face. They can be difficult to accept. Female entrepreneurs have a way to overcome challenges.
Damian PetersPublished 6 days ago in Viva
Brilliant, Beautiful & (Hardly Ever) Seen on TV
Where are all the smart, pretty female lead characters on television sitcoms? As a woman, and as a woman of colour, and as an intelligent woman of colour, that’s something I always wanted to know. I begin this with a disclaimer, I’ve not watched everything on television (I mean, I did have a life). All I know I know is what I’ve seen and what I grew up with. And I know I didn’t like it.
The best of Hi Fructose artists
In the modern-day, we would easily forget about aspiring artists if it wasn't for magazines, pop culture, and news. Although art is such a big part of our lives, we must realize the best of it isn't behind us. Here are some of my personal favorite artists who were featured in Hi Fructose the contemporary art magazine.
Sophia GenoPublished 6 days ago in Viva
Pro-femininity Feminism in Art
To prove that women have the same worthiness as men, assimilation has frequently been the easiest course of action in the fight for feminism. This is why we now have things like pantsuits — due to the argument that women can be just like men. Some of the achievements that hae come out of this have been quite beneficial and/or necessary for progress, but unfortunately it has also led to a frequently subconscious, popular belief that masculine traits are the ideal. In the process of proving women have the same abilities as men, "feminine" remained what-not-to-be. Most problematically, femininity is often acknowledged as weak while masculinity is strong; the word "feminine" is still treated as an insult. This collection of artworks I've virtually curated has two main goals regarding femininity from a feminist, pro-femininity perspective: to acknowledge femininity as equal to masculinity, and to develop an understanding of femininity as a set of qualities nonsynonymous with the female gender. Visual feminine traits I will focus on include the color pink, light palettes, flower symbolism, decoration, and a less nameable yet very identifiable sense of elegance.
Lili PricePublished 6 days ago in Viva
I prefer BLACK MA'AM
A few months back in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey "the Duchess of Sussex" spoke fearlessly about how she had faced remarks and concern over her baby's skin color.
