introduction to feminism

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

So women and men could also add their stories to raise solidarity and awareness. 

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

People realise how often this happens and that people think that this is normal when it shouldn't be. 

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

It's an online project where people have shared their own experiences and so without the technology it won't be as possible to share this and make others more aware. 

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 feel like even today there are still women being abused but women are more confident at speaking up and making sure that the man knows not to touch them.

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

Networked feminism is a phenomenon that can be described as the online mobilization and coordination of feminists in response to sexist, misogynistic, racist, and other discriminatory acts against minority groups. 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’?

The ‘first wave of feminism’ 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’ (often identified as post-feminism). 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. I agree with the fact that people need to be aware of women and their feelings and the fact that they shouldn't be treated differently or abused either. 

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.

A perfect starting point is the 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’. The response she received proved differently, with 50,000 entries of sexist experiences made by December 2013.

This inclusive idea of feminism is nowhere better summarised than by the He For She campaign 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.

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. 

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?

Technology can either make things worse or help the matter by raising awareness and creating a union. I believe that women should be heard and it's not right for them to be treated like that.