Introduction to Feminism

Watch the Everyday Sexism TED talk from Laura Bates (linked above) and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?

She started this because people kept saying how women were equal now and that they shouldn't be making a fuss. However, Bates wasn't convinced about it and decided it was time to ''make a fuss,'' therefore she set up a website because she realized that you can't solve a problem if people act like the problem never existed.

2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?

It links to the idea that we're in post-feminism as people continuously say that women are equal now and they shouldn't be making a fuss about it, therefore confirming that feminism is still required in western societies. 

3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project?

She didn't have any source of funding to keep the website going and therefore thought that only about 20-30 women will share their experiences about sexism. But due to new tech, the website was able to garner a massive fanbase/population.

4) Will there be a point in the future when the Everyday Sexism project is not required? What is YOUR view on the future of feminism?

In my opinion, the Everyday Sexism project has become a necessity now. The world unfortunately does no heal overnight, and for possibly the next couple decades, women will unfortunately continue to fall victim to oppression.

Media Magazine: The fourth wave?

Read the article: The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age in MM55 (p64). You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive here.

1) Summarise the questions in the first two sub-headings: What is networked feminism? Why is it a problem?

The new fourth wave of feminism is also known as ‘networked feminism’. it aims to tackle social equality issues found both on, and using, modern technology. Thousands of campaigns, blogs and hashtags have been used to spur on the feminist upheaval. Ideologies and communities that were thought to have been extinct have been watered back to life through the roots of the internet.

It's a problem because of the difference in today's society, (a fast paced world of technological development, where feminism can be left behind) new technology is invented everyday, digital outlets change and update regularly, and social media platforms make messaging instant. In the media, feminists are still frequently associated with campaigners such as the Suffragettes, who fought for the right to vote, threw themselves under horses and chained themselves to railings.

2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave of ‘networked feminism’? 

The first wave began in the late 19th to early 20th centuries with a main focus on suffrage.

The second wave began in the 1960s, campaigning for the growth of equal rights and leading to the Equal Pay Act of 1970, amongst other equality laws.

Since the late 1990s we are believed to have entered the third wave, which is often identified as Post Feminism.

The fourth -and newest- wave of feminism is known as the Networked Feminism. I strongly agree that the world is in this fourth wave because the internet is rapidly growing and it's a place where people can share their experiences and solutions to stop certain things like sexual harassment, abuse, unequal pay and many other things going against feminism.

3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a short summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.

Everyday Sexism: The project was started in 2012 by Laura Bates as a website which would post examples of sexism that users face every day. Laura set it up after finding feminism hard to talk about. She received over 50,000 entries of sexist experiences made by December 2013. Three years later, Everyday Sexism is one of the most highly praised feminist digital campaigns due to its well used #EverydaySexism Twitter feed. 

HeForShe: This campaign was led by Emma Watson. Watson's campaign focuses on male support for gender equality, highlighting the fact that feminism is not about promoting matriarchy, but solidarity. This explicitly non-man hating version of feminism, in which a woman can be successful in more than one aspect in life, seems to remove the element of misandry that has blighted traditional feminism for so long. However, many people have criticised this campaign, saying that it makes feminism too reliant on males.  

FCKH8: This movement focuses on the modern representation of girls and the huge social inequalities they face, featuring young girls F-Bombing to highlight society's imbalance when it comes to offences. The video is a complete paradigm shift in the representation of young girls, and a representation that audiences enjoyed since it gained over 1.6 million views in 3 months. However, FCKH8 is a for profit company, and the video was made in an attempt to sell their t-shirts. This exploitation of feminism as an advertising tool created a huge backlash. 

This Girl Can: This campaign has been described as the first fitness campaign for women -which doesn't doesn't shame or exclude them - by sharing photos, videos and quotes from women without the usual sexual exploitation of women's fitness adverts and body shaming. However, this campaign has been heavily criticised on the social media fora. 

4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?

We are most definitely in the 4TH WAVE of feminism. This wave is easily recognisable due to the fact that its been almost entirely online, reaching new audiences and empowering women from all over the globe. It's easily distinguishable from the first 3, as they were all in the form of in person protests, while the 4th wave operates entire on the internet.