CULTURE

Instagram Shines Spotlight on Everyday Women With #MyStory Initiative

11:00 AM PDT 10/23/2015 by Natalie Jarvey

Dee Cercone/Everett Collection/Newscom
Rowan Blanchard

'Girl Meets World' star Rowan Blanchard is co-hosting a photo exhibition in Los Angeles that will feature the work of some of Instagram's most inspirational female users.

Instagram has power users like Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian, sure. But it has also become the app of choice for everyday women looking to share their stories. 

Now the Facebook-owned photo sharing app wants to highlight those women with a new initiative called #MyStory. Beginning next week and running for the next year, Instagram's official account will highlight the photos and stories of several exceptional women. They include tattoo artist Roxx, plus-sized model Tess Holliday and firefighter Alli Meade who also has a passion for welding and art. 

The campaign kicks off Oct. 26 with a Los Angeles photo exhibit that will showcase the work of these women. The event, which has been curated by journalist Jessica Bennett, is being co-hosted by Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard and Instagram COO Marne Levine. 

"In a world that often wants women, especially women of color and trans women, to be silent, it is incredibly exciting that Instagram is inviting these women to join the conversation and tell their story," says Blanchard. 

Instagram has also partnered with Oprah Winfrey's O magazine to highlight the stories in the magazine throughout the year. "Women are important storytellers who help connect the Instagram community to what's happening in the world," says Levine. "From illustrators and activists to mothers and entrepreneurs, women are using images to tell their stories in a way that transcends language, geography, or age. By teaming up with Rowan Blanchard and O, The Oprah Magazine, we hope to amplify these stories and inspire women everywhere to find their visual voice."
 
Additional women whose stories will be highlighted include photographer Lula Hyers and artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. Here is one of the photos that will be shown: