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2 magazine covers sparked an important discussion about gender targeting in the media.

'We all need to do better.'

There's something very wrong with the difference between these two magazine covers.

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A photo posted by @amyschumer on


In the image above, which was shared by comedian Amy Schumer, the Boys' Life magazine cover shows its readers a future filled with seemingly limitless career opportunities while the Girls' Life magazine cover boils its readers dreams down to first kisses and looking pretty.

Both issues were released in September 2016, proving that, despite how far gender equality has come, there are still plenty of places peddling these outdated, stereotypical gender expectations.

It's far more than just disappointing. It's having a negative effect on scores of impressionable young girls.

When graphic designer Katherine Young saw the side-by-side covers, she decided to redesign the Girls' Life cover — with some key changes.

Images via Girls' Life magazine and Katherine Young, used with permission.

Young replaced Disney actress Olivia Holt with Olivia Hallisey, a teen scientist who won Google's Science Fair in 2015 with her invention of a $25 Ebola test. Instead of hair tips and fall fashion trends, Young's cover advertises dream careers and ways girls can help out in their communities.

In about 10 minutes, she gave the magazine cover the best makeover ever. Here's a close-up of her work:

Image via Katherine Young, used with permission.

Young put the side-by-side photos on her blog with the caption "We can do better," and when she posted the Photoshopped job on Twitter, it quickly went viral.

Obviously Young isn't the only one who's ever felt personally victimized (to borrow a phrase from "Mean Girls") by magazine covers promoting tired gender stereotypes like these.

"I had real body issues all the way up through my mid twenties," Young explains in an email. "I would barely eat in front of my friends as a teenager because I was embarrassed that my jean size was too big. I thought I was less valuable as an individual because I wasn't a 'pretty girl' as defined by society and pop culture standards."

Many studies have found that girls' self-esteem drops dramatically during their pre-teen years far more than boys. There are a number of reasons why this happens, but one glaring factor is that girls feel much more judgmental of their changing bodies than boys. It's not hard to wonder why that might be.  

Before girls even reach puberty, they're flooded with images of what society thinks the ideal women should look like.

Image via Seventeen Magazine.

Sure, boys experience this kind of messaging directed at them as well, but there are a lot more male role models in a much wider array of body types, ages, and jobs than there are for girls (thanks, media's sexist double standard).

After being constantly bombarded with messages on how to dress, what hairstyles look good, and exercise tips to achieve a "great butt," it's not surprising that teen and pre-teen girls often have such low self-esteem or that studies show that the media continues to take its toll as girls grow up.

"It does matter and it effects us more than we realize," writes Young.

That being said, there are examples of the media starting to do better.

I am so beyond excited and overwhelmed and happy and astonished and of course, SHOOK, to announce that I am the newest face of @covergirl. First ever male ambassador for the brand and I am so honored and excited to be working with such an iconic brand. I started my Instagram one year ago to inspire others and as an artistic outlet to challenge myself creatively. I truly hope that this shows that anyone and everyone can wear makeup and can do anything if you work hard. I can't wait to share with you all what we have in store, but trust me when I say it's gonna be real good. 😊💕 make sure you check out @covergirl's page for more info coming soon, and my new bff @katyperry as well for a cute pic! 😉 Thank you all so much. This would not be possible without all of you.

A photo posted by James Charles (@jamescharles) on

Teen Vogue magazine has been running some hard-hitting news stories lately about the state of our political world. Average-size and plus-size women are being featured on fashion and lifestyle magazine covers. And men have even started becoming the spokespeople for brands traditionally geared toward women.

Bit by bit, the media landscape is changing, but there's still a long, long way to go.

Do female-oriented magazines need to get rid of all their makeup tips and "match your style to this celebrity" sections? No. Makeup and clothes can be fun for many women. Gender-targeted magazines that continue to reinforce tired stereotypes, however, shouldn't be so verypolarizing.

For example, lots of men (straight and gay) enjoy doing their hair and putting on makeup and nail polish too. If men's magazines spoke to that, perhaps those men wouldn't experience as much judgment as they do?

Inclusivity and confidence should always win out over snark and skin-deep, stereotypical standards. Hopefully the media will accept the challenge to go further in that direction and continue to do better in 2017.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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