HERMIONE GRANGER, TRIS PRIOR AND KATNISS EVERDEEN

In films, there are more and more empowered female stars. Examples of these include the well known Hermione Granger, out of Harry Potter, who was shown as a smart, witty young girl who could stand her ground. Another example is Tris Prior from Divergent, a quiet but determined, headstrong teenager who wouldn't give in to others. Lastly, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, who is an empowered woman who can defend herself and fights for what she believes in.

ASHLEY GRAHAM

Ashley Graham is an American model who models plus size lingerie and has appeared in fashion magazines Harper's Bazaar, Glamour and Vogue, along with many others. She is changing the modelling industry and encouraging women to feel more confident in their bodies.

DOVE

Dove has become internationally recognised for their inspiring, uplifting campaigns and advertisements, as well as Youtube videos, that encourage women to love their body, despite their 'flaws'. Their most famous campaign is the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, which is trying to change women's views on beauty and that they should view beauty as a source of confidence, not anxiety.

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty: http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx

JENNIFER LAWRENCE


There are other Hollywood actresses, like Jennifer Lawrence, who refuse to fit into the 'ideal Hollywood body shape mould'. This was shown when she refused to lose weight for her film, The Hunger Games, saying "In the first movie, when it was obviously being talked about, like, ‘It’s the Hunger Games, you have to lose 10lb,’ I was like, ‘We have control over this image, we have control over this role model. Why would we make her something unobtainable and thin?'” Lawrence said.

“This is a person that young girls – well, all women, but mainly young girls – will be looking up to and are going to want to look like her, and we have control over it, so why not make her strong? Why not make her beautiful and healthy and fit?
“I was very adamant about that, because I think that our industry doesn’t take enough responsibility for what it does to our society, about having these unrealistic expectations, and I don’t want to be part of that. I remember what it felt like to be 14 years old and looking at a Victoria’s Secret model, and thinking, ‘I’ll never look like that.’ I don’t want to make someone feel like that.” (source: http://www.scifinow.co.uk/news/jennifer-lawrence-i-refused-to-lose-weight-for-the-hunger-games/)

NEW HOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES

There are new Hollywood actresses, like Rebel Wilson and Melissa McCarthy, who encourage people that you don't have to be skinny and stunningly beautiful to be an actress and to love your body.



MAD MAX

The recently released film, Mad Max, shows an empowered woman Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, who, unlike other stereotypical film, doesn't fall in love with a man and is better at aiming a gun than her male co-star, Mad Max. Furiosa is shown in the film as a tough, in control woman who doesn't give in to men.