Meet the new wave of activists making feminism thrive in a digital age

[seabeyond]

"I guess I became a feminist when I actually looked at the world and saw how unfair it was," she says. "Women. People of colour. LGBT people, who have much harder lives for no good reason. I set up the Twitter Young Feminist Army with two other girls who are sadly no longer on Twitter because of the misogynist abuse directed at them. But mostly there's a great community online. Quite a lot of young girls are isolated, maybe their friends aren't interested in feminism and they are a bit scared of joining groups of older women, so we help them connect. At our age you get told not to wear short skirts to school and then you get shouted at by men in cars on the way home anyway, and realising that it's wrong and that there are other people out there who share your views is great. The thing I'd really like to see happen is equal pay, and access to better sex education and contraception advice for younger people."




"The scale on which women are now sexually objectified means feminists today are in uncharted territory," says Banyard. "In the 70s and 80s they didn't have what we have now: developments in technology and a concerted PR campaign that has enabled sexual exploitation to become a global industry. The result is misogynistic, violent, online pornography, lap-dancing clubs in the high street, lads' mags on display in supermarkets. It's deeply ingraining a cultural message that it's acceptable to dehumanise women, to treat women like sex objects. What we are now seeing is a resurgence of grassroots feminist activism, with people of all ages mobilising online and on the streets because they want an end to the sexism that is still rampant in our society."




"My FGM was out of context in that I grew up in a feminist family. I knew FGM was wrong and assumed everyone else would. Sadly, this wasn't so and I understood my own silence was complicit in this. As a form of violence against women, FGM takes place because of structural inequalities in society – particularly gender inequality," she says. "We need to empower and protect those at risk to make sure that it is eliminated. Any approach to end FGM which does not address these inequalities will only leave a vacuum for another form of violence against women – or for those who carry out FGM to say that it does not exist. Progress is definitely being made. In Bristol, we have hundreds of young people who are not only standing up and speaking out about FGM, but questioning the role of women within their communities. They are being empowered with language that has not just changed their lives, but also those of their mothers. As one woman said: 'If it is OK to cut a girl because she is a girl, then what you will do to her as a woman will be worse.' This change has not come easily for those of us that have stood up against FGM. We face death threats on a regular basis, we have been attacked on the street and lost people we once believed to be friends."


Lucy-Anne Holmes, 36, novelist and actor
"We are asking very nicely: stop showing topless pictures of young women … stop conditioning your readers to view women as sex objects," she says. "I felt strongly that when the largest female image in the most widely read newspaper in the country is a young woman in her knickers, there for men to look at, it doesn't send out a respectful message about a woman's place in society. It says: 'What society values about you first and foremost is how sexy men find you in your pants when you're about 20."




"The conversation in this country and the resurgence of feminism is wonderful," she says. "It's so encouraging to see these conversations happening, especially as in America it is still a forbidden, bad word. Too many young women there will say 'oh, I'm not a feminist', when in fact if you talk to them and unpick that, of course they are. Theidea of liberation in America is more sexual and here it is much more intellectual, but the internet is opening up channels between women in different countries, and women who might be isolated in their communities, to understand each others' lives and support each other, which is the heart of feminism to me. We need equality to make our societies better for both men and women."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/01/activists-feminism-digital

i want to look at two things in the new wave. both in this group and outside, over the couple years we have taken note of this. first, a common theme the YOUNG.... our YOUNG women are talking about. the perverted, profuse objectification of women for mans entertainment and what it creates in our world.

second though, and the last feminist i entered, Yasmeen Hassan, hit something that i think is really important. we have noted the resurgence of feminism is really coming from UK. and europe in general. because they were so far behind the u.s. i believe, and pushed hardest to speak out recently. necessity. i do not feel slighted in the least, the women in UK are forefront. i am thrilled. we are sisters after all. does country really matter, like they say, in the digital era.

there have been a handful of us on du over the last couple years, "the usual suspects" that have traveled this with these women, in our country, totally getting what is being said, so we are united in solidarity and voice, across the ocean. nothing new for us. but, for many in the u.s. who are just waking up. this is what it looks like TODAY.

baines. the people after your tush over the word education. raising hand. that would be me. that is what skinner repeatedly says. education. i have not gotten that message from skinner wrong. he could not be more clear, over and over and over. so education. when the same ole go after me for stating my views, as if i am not allowed. education. and you got a problem with that? talk to skinner. lol. hence, being pissed and throwing it at you. at least know where it is coming from.

and this.... is how it ties into what skinner is saying. and with support.... THIS is what we can give to du. in respect. information for those that want it. learning. growing. being better. more powerful. effective in OUR govt, justice, legal, activist people, women, that we are.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. Lucy-Anne Holmes, 36, novelist and actor "We are asking very nicely:

Reminded me of a song ... a Very Democratic Song as some here should recall ...

[redqueen]

2. I love hearing young women speaking up about feminism.

This part just ... I don't get it.

The idea of liberation in America is more sexual and here it is much more intellectual,

I mean I get what she's saying, but I don't get why anyone thinks its necessary or even helpful. The sixties are over. The sexual revolution came and went and the whole 'sexxxxy as I wanna be' issue was over by the early 90's. There are segments of society which still look down on women who enjoy being more open with their sexuality because it used to be considered morally wrong for women to own their sexuality (e.g. religious types, 'old fashioned' people, sexist people with double standards, etc.) ... but by and large we women are able to be as sexually open and free as we like.

One thing that really makes me laugh is when those who can't stand the idea that so many feminists are again challenging objectification, the sexualization of girls and women in the media, etc. try to conflate the moral objection to women owning their sexuality with the feminist objections mentioned before.

I mean, I guess some people are stupid enough not to see through it? But when even kids - girls mostly but boys too - manage to understand the difference in middle school...

Yeah... kinda makes it hard to take those types seriously.

[seabeyond]

3. i think that is the thing. i think she was calling out third wave, sex positive, lipstick feminism

of the u.s. i think she is not seeing the last couple years, even in the u.s. we are putting that to the side. so i think she was saying, the women in u.s. behind cause they are doing the "sex positive" poo poo whereas they are going after that, "intellectualism"

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. This

One thing that really makes me laugh is when those who can't stand the idea that so many feminists are again challenging objectification, the sexualization of girls and women in the media, etc. try to conflate the moral objection to women owning their sexuality with the feminist objections mentioned before

I need to think about that more within the context of what we are experiencing on DU3.

Thanks, requeen. As usual, you have given me points to ponder and, I appreciate it.

[cinnabonbon]

5. Awww. Reading this made me happy.

I set up the Twitter Young Feminist Army with two other girls who are sadly no longer on Twitter because of the misogynist abuse directed at them. But mostly there's a great community online. Quite a lot of young girls are isolated, maybe their friends aren't interested in feminism and they are a bit scared of joining groups of older women, so we help them connect.

She's right! There are a lot of women on the net, once you know where to look. The way I found my friends were through our love of books, and through that I met a lot of other lovers of the same book, and a lot of them talked about the sexism they faced in their lives. 'Fandom' as I knew it was almost completely without men. It was female writers and artists and everything in between. We scrutinized society together. After a while, talking about feminist theory seemed like the most natural thing in the world. From there it was easy to talk about racism and homophobia and all the other things (although privileged folks obviously had some trouble understanding some of it, since it was new to them).

The internet is opening up possibilities so people who may not be used to racism/sexism/ableism can learn about it and more importantly, learn about their role in it. It's easy to find information now. You don't actually have to go to college to understand the theory behind things.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. Our Strong Young Women Leading The Way. Proud of Them. Support and Solidarity that Sisterhood

provides Growth for ALL Individuals in whatever path they choose to seek fulfillment.