Introduction to Feminism

Everyday Sexism

Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates:

 

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 had the realisation, after being sexually harassed herself, that women all over the world, be it her family, friends or strangers, suffer from sexual harassment that has been normalised and so Laura created the project for people to voice their experiences to spread awareness and to help de-normalise this behaviour.

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

It links in the way that people believe that due to post-feminism that all the problem for women is suddenly solved after legislative equality is achieved but in reality is much more of a societal problem rooted in cultural norms and so feminism is still required to voice out these experiences that are still occurring today as women are still treated as objects of attraction rather than actual human beings which is demoralising.

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

The internet has provided the medium for people all around the world to voice there experiences from anywhere at anytime which allows the spread of awareness in not just a specific country or location but the entire world.

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?

I think that eventually the project will no longer be needed as i believe that peoples views and values will change with the times and awareness is being spread at such a rate that we will achieve proper equality and women will no longer need to be afraid or think that sexual harassment is okay to be normalised while the future of feminism is still quite unclear, as long as there are these inequalities in societal norms, feminism is required to continue to push for a better future.

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. Why this is a problem is because since the 60s feminism has fought to recognise the social struggle of women on a number of different levels. Feminists in 2015 still deal every day with misconceptions and prejudice: the idea that rape or coercive sex may be justified if a woman is wearing provocative clothing, the huge gender pay gap despite equality legislation, the ubiquitous representations of women as weak and disempowered, to name but a few.

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

I do believe that we have reached into the fourth wave of feminism due to the fact of the rise of the internet and how people have more and more access to sites such as pornography on the internet that perceive women as just sex objects and that they are there just to please the males as we do live in a partiarchal society even though we are seeing a steady decrease in this fact but is still a major threat to the world ad women. 

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 campaign. The project was started by Laura Bates back in 2012 as a website which posted examples of sexism that users faced every day. Laura set it up after finding feminism hard to talk about, saying: ‘Again and again, people told me sexism is no longer a problem – that women are equal now’. Everyday Sexism is one of the most high-visibility feminist digital campaigns, arguably due to its

user-generated content and its well-used #EverydaySexism Twitter feed.

HeForShe. Many people have criticised the He For She campaign, saying that it makes feminism too reliant on males, undermining the ‘strong woman’ element and relying on the old stereotype that women need men to get things done.

 FCKH8 campaign. One of the most popular digital campaigns is the FCKH8 campaign, the movement focuses on the modern representation of girls and the huge social inequalities they face, whilst featuring young girls ‘F-Bombing’ to highlight society’s imbalance when it comes to offences. 

This Girl Can. Other campaigns in existence are the This Girl Can campaign, which has been described as the first fitness campaign for women which doesn’t shame or exclude them, by sharing photos, videos and quotes of women without the usual sexual exploitation of a women’s fitness advert and without body shaming.

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 think that it can be argued that it may be an extension of the third wave and that this is just a surge in pushing society further and not accepting that status quo of abuse after achieving their rights and that the internet has been a tool to push the third wave even further. However I believe that this is a new fourth wave and that feminism has changed and been accommodated by the internet to push problems that have been brought to light via the access of the internet and its communities that have now flourished as a result.I think that it can be argued that it may be an extension of the third wave and that this is just a surge in pushing society further and not accepting that status quo of abuse after achieving their rights and that the internet has been a tool to push the third wave even further. However I believe that this is a new fourth wave and that feminism has changed and been accommodated by the internet to push problems that have been brought to light via the access of the internet and its communities that have now flourished as a result.