Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Viva.

Being a Woman in 2017. Top Story - September 2017.
Women have come a long way from what we were associated with many years ago. However, some people still believe that we should still be associated with the times of the past. This may be because it is what they have learned and what they have believed in, but it might also be that they don't want to change from the past.
By Tanisha Dagger8 years ago in Viva
Don’t Mistake My Confidence for Self-Absorption
Women suffer, silently. Before we’re even taught basic arithmetic, the idea that we need to count calories to maintain our worth as humans is wedged into our core beliefs. We’re taught to receive the world as passive observers, to keep our voices low and our bodies invisible. To be seen and not heard. Can you hear me now? We fold ourselves up like paper cranes in public. We shrink ourselves, we stunt our own growth in hopes that we’ll one day be as inconspicuous as a blade of grass. Light and ethereal, gentle as a plume of smoke from a candle. We’re barely there. A real woman is effortlessly beautiful and brilliant and kind, but don’t you dare talk about your successes you narcissistic bitch, didn’t anyone ever teach you to be humble?
By Elizabeth Olson8 years ago in Viva
Domestic Abuse & Me
My nearest and dearest often describe me as strong, loud, resilient, and many other terms similar (mainly loud). My patients have referred to me as "firm but fair" and "take no shit." So you can imagine why for someone like me admitting I was in trouble, admitting that I needed help and admitting I WAS a victim was so hard for me. But, as a nurse in women's services, I couldn't cope with what I felt would be hypocrisy. I need to practice what I preach. All that has kept me going recently is turning the worst time of my entire life into a positive experience, trying to turn myself into a positive role model. Showing my little sister, my patients, other women, and my loved ones that we all deserve to be safe in our homes, in our minds, bodies, and the world we live in.
By Natasha Smith8 years ago in Viva
Discovery Through Resting B**** Face
I have worked in customer service for the past four years, since I was nineteen. I’m now twenty-three and my everyday experiences have not changed much since my first day. I imagine they’re the same experiences that other females have either waitressing, selling coffees, or even walking down the street. I have yet to talk to a man that has had a similar experience, but I’m sure there are a few out there that have had that one customer (or several) that have made their skin crawl or even made them consider quitting the minimum wage job. Because in reality, is it worth it?
By Katrina Thornley8 years ago in Viva
What to Know Before Taking the Morning After Pill
Whether we like it or not, unprotected sex happens — and it often happens when parties involved are not ready to have a baby.
By Mackenzie Lu8 years ago in Viva
Most Wished for Sports Bras on Amazon Every Woman Needs
If you're athletic, then you already know that having a sports bra is a mandatory part of your outfit as a woman. It's not a matter of modesty in many cases, either. Even those of us who love going #flawlessAndbraless tend to need sports bras when we hit the gym. Why? Well...
By Emily McCay8 years ago in Viva
Reasons Anne of Green Gables is the Best Female Character Ever
In case you don't know, Anne of Green Gables is an 8 book series written by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. The first book, Anne of Green Gables was published in 1908.
By Thea Young 8 years ago in Viva
Who Is Gloria Steinem?
Few feminist names will ever be as big as Gloria Steinem's. Her name is one that has been inextricably linked with both the women's feminist movement of the 60s and 70s, as well as the Civil Rights movement. Among feminists, she's revered. Among misogynists, she's reviled.
By Jules Fortman8 years ago in Viva
Not Feeling Motivated? 5 Hacks to Keep Pushing Forward
Some days, there is an almost tangible motivation that you can feel pulsing through your veins when you wake up in the morning. Other days…eh…not so much. With the new year here, it’s almost as if we are expected to feel some type of newness wash over us that guides us through the perfect business plan, social media strategy and works through the kinks of 2016. But things aren’t always this crystal clear. In fact, with that pressure, it can lead to a motivational struggle instead.
By Swaay8 years ago in Viva
Two Super Easy Catwalk-Inspired Hairstyles for Autumn
If you’re anything like me, hair is basically your Achilles' heel (apart from crippling mental illness, I mean). I consistently get to the end of doing my *flawless* makeup, look at my raggedy new bob in the mirror and think… “Cool. Understated. No motivation to improve upon.” More often than not it’s a super chic, unbrushed, hanging by the sides of my face life for me.
By Annie Walton8 years ago in Viva
The Awful Truth About Fake Geek Girls
They stalk conventions in skimpy costumes, spending money on geeky merchandise, all to sink their claws into and seduce an unsuspecting Real Geek Boy. They'll flutter those fake eyelashes as they slink into a conversation on the latest installment of your favourite video game franchise, but don't let them fool you, they aren't
By Princess Sparklefangs8 years ago in Viva
Burn the Makeover Movie
There’s a lot of things I don’t miss about the noughties; low rise jeans and Juicy Couture velour rank amongst them. but the trend I most despise is the Makeover Movie. Also, here’s a disclaimer for the guys in the back; yes, being a feminist and an “ugly” teenager who had to wait till she was eighteen until her first kiss influences my opinion on this. It’s not that I “wouldn’t have a problem” if I was hot, it’s a case of I wouldn’t be the target audience. These movies are a goldmine of daydreams for nerdy teenage girls who harbour unobtainable popular crushes (*raises hand in admittance). They feed the mentality that “it’s not me, it’s my face/body/fashion/anything that makes up my identity and if I change it he’ll fall hopelessly in love with me and I can design the interior of our castle.” The makeover movie is a sub genre of teen films that follow a basic formula: Girl is unattractive, she likes boy who is attractive, witty sidekick persuades her to undergo a makeover, she is suddenly attractive because she now has make-up, contact lenses, and clothes that fit, boy likes her back, happily ever after. The thing is this template sells us fantasy dressed up in a high school guise; in the real world, a lovely, yet slightly plain looking girl who gets a "makeover" will look pretty much the same and odds are, the guy she likes will probably not glance her way regardless of what she wears. The problem is the makeover plot relies on and improbable event happening, but frames it in a realistic setting. The movies should be labelled fantasy as their plot lines are akin to Cinderella landing the cover of Sport Illustrated because the Prince found a girl who the glass bikini fits. But we bask in these films of the fantastical without any care for their source. Like the Miller's daughter in Rumplestiltskin, the director appears to turn the straw of everyday life into gold and we choose not to question his methods. This impossible feat is a trick of the eye; deep down we know this, yet we hold the counterfeit gold to our chests and wish we could afford the real deal.
By Laura 8 years ago in Viva