Introduction To Feminism

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

After being a victim of 3 sexual assaults in the same week, she investigated equality between men and women and found that the statistics pointed towards men being above women in society - men had overwhelmingly majority positions in places such as law, politics and the arts. She also saw that 1 in 3 women worldwide will be raped or sexually harassed at one point in their life.

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

It links to the concept of post-feminism as it relies on the use of new technology to spread stories from people across the globe.

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

More people can contribute their stories and these stories can come from people from all walks of like

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?

In my opinion, sexism towards women will always exist in one form or another. It can be reduced, but the future of feminism seems to be an eternal battle to reduce inequality yet never quite achieving equal status between both men and women. This can simply be explained by the biological difference between men and women, men are usually taller and stronger and so not only are they able to overpower women in cases such as sexual assault, but also have a general advantage in industries such as sports, construction and other labour. However, some may make the counter-argument and say that women will always have the upper hand in industries such as modelling, so it could be that men and women have their strengths in certain industries but will never reach quite reach equality in all industries. So, there will likely never be a day when the everyday sexism project is not required.

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.

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

One complication is that the essence of feminism is still only partially understood. The internet has so many denominations, societies and communities of people who claim to be feminists, and equally as many for those who claim to be against it, and so definitions and ideologies can become blurred.

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 - Founded because feminism was hard to talk about as most people's responses were that men and women were already equal.

HeForShe - Focuses on male support for gender equality, highlighting the fact that feminism is not about promoting matriarchy, but solidarity.

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?

Yes I agree with the concept of a fourth wave of feminism as technology has changed our lives so drastically with the way that we communicate with others. Knowledge, information and activism can be spread at an infinitely faster rate than it used to.