#MeToo movement, more women in Congress: Influencers sound off on the biggest wins for women

Yahoo Lifestyle

The late Maya Angelou once said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” This quote couldn’t be more illustrative of how women from all walks of life simply standing up and speaking out has greatly moved the needle forward on women’s rights in America.

From sexual and reproductive health to voting rights and civic engagement — as well as advocating for domestic workers and gender equality — women are on the frontlines of creating lasting change. And this activism spirit and thinking permeates throughout TheCurvyCon — a three-day convention that brings together celebrities, body-positive influencers and their fans to celebrate diversity and fashion inclusivity.

TheCurvyCon co-founders CeCe Olisa and Chastity Garner have created a brand (and business) that inspires and informs the next generation of leaders in the women’s rights movement.

When reflecting on the biggest wins for women in the past five years, Yahoo Lifestyle and your favorite influencers agreed that the #MeToo movement was among many of those accomplishments. Burlesque dancer Lillian Bustle tells us, “It’s amazing to see everybody sharing their stories and coming forward.”

Whitney Way Thore, star of TLC’s My Big Fat Fabulous Life, agrees with Bustle and says, “I think it’s been so amazing to see women feeling comfortable and confident and safe and powerful enough to come out and speak on instances of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment.” She looks forward to how the #MeToo movement will evolve five years from now.

Model Hunter McGrady chimes in to say that the women’s marches are evident that “we have shown up and shown out for one another and for people who are taking time out of their day to make history.”

And with so many women lawmakers voted into office during recent elections, singer and advocate Troy Solomon strongly believes that “the next president is going to be a woman.” He continues, “End of discussion.”

Watch the video above for more major wins for women in the past five years, and tell us in the comments section what you’d add to this list.

Go to TheCurvyCon.com to buy tickets for the 2019 convention.

Visit Yahoo Lifestyle on Friday, September 6th and Saturday, September 7th to watch our live-stream of TheCurvyCon 2019, and follow us on Instagram for some fun activations before the event!