Garbage’s Shirley Manson Speaks Out About Women’s Rights And Body Image

Garbage’s Shirley Manson addressed women’s rights in a world that seems to be getting more conservative and the impact of social media on girls’ body image.

Manson, 50, said photo sharing sites like Instagram have contributed to very unrealistic expectations on women. She urged young girls to focus on things other than looks, ‘things that will last a lifetime,’ because the pursuit of beauty on social media is “meaningless,” the singer told Australia’s ABC network.

Manson is currently touring Australia with her band for their sixth studio album, Strange Little Birds. The musician admitted that she too felt pressure to improve her appearance even at her “youngest and most beautiful.”

“I was always feeling that I was falling short and, you know, looking back, I was young and beautiful, and I didn’t know I was, I was oblivious to that fact,” she said.

Manson, who is a dedicated feminist, said she sees as an erosion of women’s rights around the world.

“There’s definitely a global movement towards eradicating women’s rights. You’ll see it in Poland, you’ll see it in Argentina, you’re seeing it in the States. I mean, it’s just everywhere.”

“I think that’s a result, in some ways, of a generation that followed the 90s, and women took for granted their rights, their human rights,” she said.

Manson also shared some details about her own life and aspirations.

“As I’ve gotten older … I have focused on things that I consider much more important. I want to be a great writer, I want to be good at what I do, I want to go on stage and blow people away,” she said.