The Fine Line Between Self-Objectification and Empowerment

When it comes to self-objectification and empowerment on social media, there are so many mixed messages and signals; it’s no wonder that this argument has been a long-standing debate for feminist.

We see celebrities like Kim Kardashian, who posts nude photos of herself and claims she is empowered by her body and her sexuality. She has even stated that she hopes, through the platform she has been given, she “can encourage the same empowerment for girls and women all over the world.”

Alongside Kim K., the actress/model Emily Ratajkowski—who is known to post nude and body-focused images on her Instagram—has also advocated on her social media saying, “We are more than just our bodies, but that doesn’t mean we have to be shamed for them or our sexuality.”

While she’s completely right to say that women shouldn’t ever be discredited for their body-image choices, there is still a societal concept that how you project your self-image is how people will see you. In other terms, if you are demanding to be seen for more than your physique, yet, you only posting pictures that sexualize yourself, then you’re telling society your own self-image is only based off the physical. Therefore, you are relegating yourself to an object of desire.

Some may argue the point that she’s a model and her career is based off image, which is true—but, if she is demanding to be seen for more than her body, then she should show us more than her figure. And others may argue that Kim K. is a mother and shouldn’t be showing off her body like that. The reality is, motherhood doesn’t dictate a women’s autonomy. Women do. And she has the right to express how she wants the world to see her.

Although both shouldn’t be condemned for taking ownership of their bodies, they both promote the idea that to be a sexually empowered woman, then you have to show off your nude self. And they both encourage the concept that empowerment of our bodies means we sexualize them, which ultimately endorses objectification.

This idea not only blurs the line between self-objectification and empowerment, but it also confuses young women and our entire society. There is so much more to women’s empowerment or even sexual empowerment than posting nude photos.

And if a woman wants to be seen for more than her physique, then she needs to show us that she views herself more than an object of sexuality. Otherwise, society’s gaze will continue to see you and women in general as objects of sex and desire.

To take it a step further, some women argue that they want to be objectified, that they find sexual objectification and attention as confident-boosting. Which sure, attention does boost the ego, but when Cameron Diaz says, “every woman wants to be objectified,” the truth is, they don’t. The majority of woman want to be valued as a human. Not an object.

But, if objectification is something you’re okay with, then that’s your right. But don’t try to preach that it’s empowerment. Because it’s not. Society still holds the power on how women are valued, no matter how much we tell them we are more.