Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates:
1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?
Because she had a week where she experienced 3 consecutive cases of sexual harassment and realised that it's been normalised. She approached woman and asked about their experiences and she found out that every single woman had a story to share.
2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?
Her project, showcasing thousands of different experiences where women are still subjected to inequality, deconstructs the idea of a post-feminism society. The response to her project by many trolls online were rape and death threats highlights the need for feminism in western society still.
3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project?
New technology allowed women's voices and experiences from all around the world to be shared.
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?
Projects like Everyday Sexism expose the reality that sexism is ingrained into everyday life, as well as encourage other women to speak up about their experiences. I believe that there will always be injustice in the world, and so discrimination like sexism will always be prevalent. Even if the western world were to reach a point of post-feminism, countries where women simply don't have the same rights as men would still need feminist projects like Everyday Sexism.
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?
The supposed fourth wave of feminism that tackles social equality issues regarding modern technology.
Why is it a problem?
Feminism can be left behind in today's new digital climate. Social media platforms allow for so many different voices to be heard that the concept of feminism has become blurred. People who claim to be against feminism may only be talking about the feminist extremist- a man-hater.
2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave ‘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'm hesitant to believe we are in a fourth wave of feminism, mostly due to the focuses of the third wave (empowerment) being a consistent topic today for women. I agree with the media magazine's view that the supposed fourth wave can be quite problematic due to the vast array of different perspectives on what feminism actually is in the current digital climate.
3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 50-word summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.
Everyday Sexism: Started in 2012 by Laura Bates. It's a website that she started after she realised that feminism is still hard to talk about, as people often say women are equal now and that sexism isn't a problem. She had responses from over 50 thousand women by December 2013, and it's still one of the most high-visibility feminist digital campaigns.
HeForShe: A campaign led by Emma Watson focusing on solidarity and inclusivity between men and women and male support for gender equality. It's generated a huge response online, with Watson utilising social media to preach a non-man-hating version of feminism, although it has also been criticised for undermining the idea of a strong woman.
FCKH8 campaign: A digital campaign that became viral after the potty mouth princess viral video. The movement focuses on the modern representation of girls and the huge social inequalities they face, representing young girls as profound and strong; Although it received backlash due to using feminism as a marketing tool.
This Girl Can: Has been described the first fitness campaign for women which doesn’t shame or exclude them. It shares photos, videos and quotes of women without the usual sexual exploitation of a women’s fitness advert and without body shaming, however it has also been criticised by feminists.
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 would argue that digital technology has allowed for Feminism to be approached in entirely new ways - ways that wouldn't be possible without the invention of social media and the internet - changing how people respond to it. The abundance of people who call themselves feminists at differing levels of extremity skew the centred idea of feminism as a movement that campaigns for equality.
3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 50-word summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.
Everyday Sexism: Started in 2012 by Laura Bates. It's a website that she started after she realised that feminism is still hard to talk about, as people often say women are equal now and that sexism isn't a problem. She had responses from over 50 thousand women by December 2013, and it's still one of the most high-visibility feminist digital campaigns.
HeForShe: A campaign led by Emma Watson focusing on solidarity and inclusivity between men and women and male support for gender equality. It's generated a huge response online, with Watson utilising social media to preach a non-man-hating version of feminism, although it has also been criticised for undermining the idea of a strong woman.
FCKH8 campaign: A digital campaign that became viral after the potty mouth princess viral video. The movement focuses on the modern representation of girls and the huge social inequalities they face, representing young girls as profound and strong; Although it received backlash due to using feminism as a marketing tool.
This Girl Can: Has been described the first fitness campaign for women which doesn’t shame or exclude them. It shares photos, videos and quotes of women without the usual sexual exploitation of a women’s fitness advert and without body shaming, however it has also been criticised by feminists.
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 would argue that digital technology has allowed for Feminism to be approached in entirely new ways - ways that wouldn't be possible without the invention of social media and the internet - changing how people respond to it. The abundance of people who call themselves feminists at differing levels of extremity skew the centred idea of feminism as a movement that campaigns for equality.
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