MIGRAIN: 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?

To show to the world the amount of sexism woman face day to day basis.

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

A lot of people think that now we are in a post-feminist world where feminism isn't needed but Everyday Sexism project shows us that women are still treated like objects. I don't personally think feminism is required today but men and boys should be thought that doing does things to women isn't ok and that belief should be destroyed out of their minds as most of them don't even know what they are doing that for, they are doing it for the sake of doing it.

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

Internet was what allowed woman across the globe to share their experience.

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?

Feminism shouldn't exist in its current form. Before it was about woman trying to have the ability to have rights to vote and being paid same as men but now its much different. feminism was in my opinion created to have more tax payers to make the government richer as well as to separate the children from their parents. I mean look at America, children there are exposed to drag shows and are being told if a boy thinks he is a girl they give him gender reassignment surgery and in some states parents can't legally do anything to stop this. I know this is more wokism but it has sprung from feminism. Happies families are nuclear families and that is a fact. I'm not saying women shouldn't work and they are only good to raise children but the happiest women are stay at home mothers. As your mom if she would have rather had you or have a successful career.

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?

networked feminism 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. With all the new technologies that are coming out its easy to forget about feminism.

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

First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote).
Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay.
Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines).
Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology and digital media (e.g. Twitter) for activism.

Definitely agree with the idea of ‘networked 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.

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?

I do agree with the idea of a forth 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.