Intersectional Interpretations
These illustrations point to a need for more inclusive representations of strong women in the media. Both images showcase women of varying heights, weights, body shapes, skin colors, ability, etc. In the first image reminiscent of Rosie, all the women pose as she does in the popular image. In the second image of “wonderwomen,” many women perform the power pose to different degrees. The woman in a wheelchair puts both arms up in a classic display of strength. Though both of the images still allude to the idea of physical strength with these poses, the poses may be interpreted more as symbols for a wider diversity of strength and toughness due to the diversity of women pictured. The message is loud and clear that all different types of women can “do it” and be “wonderwomen.” Rather than alienate a large portion of women, these images seem to attempt to invoke the feeling of sisterhood that is so often lost in mainstream feminism. One potential issue with these images is their tendency towards tokenism; both women with visible disabilities are pictured in a wheelchair. While being in a wheelchair is the stereotype for everyone with a disability, it also might be the easiest way to indicate varying levels of ability in the illustrations. Still, we must continue to evaluate representations like this and think about how they contribute to our understanding of strong women.