Digital Feminism: How Women are Re-defining the Movement

Reproductive rights, equal pay, and political advocacy are all common initiatives that come to mind when people think of the Feminist Movement. Since its inception, the movement has worked to create opportunities for women and lasting change. Now, 61 years later the movement has evolved within the digital climate and with it, its mission and strategy.

Today, digital feminism takes on many different forms across various social media platforms. Whether it’s by spreading female body positivity on Instagram, sharing experiences using the #MeToo on Twitter, or localizing activist groups through Facebook. This new landscape has shifted the way not only the way women engage with one another but how people engage with the movement. Elizabeth Walker, Sr. Manager of Influencer Marketing at Cashmere Agency credits the improvements within the movement to the digital space. Walker said, “The ever-changing digital space has allowed for female influencers to push boundaries and continue to create space for others.”

One of the most notable developments within the women’s liberation movement has been building awareness of intersectionality. Intersectionality in this instance referring to race, class, and sexual orientation. In the past, the feminist movement has been criticized for only working to uplift and advocate for cis-white women. Simultaneously, older generations of women were made to believe that, “the path to true happiness lay in finding a man, having babies, and then settling down to a life of contentedly sewing their own curtains.” In turn, this made a quantifiable change for all women even more difficult because while some were satisfied with limited rights others were not even included in the discussion.

Thankfully, today’s movement continues to look much different than that of the ’70s. Instead of secret gathering and sit-ins, today’s change-makers utilize hashtags and trending content. Modern activism within the digital landscape has proven to be groundbreaking for movements all over the world. This is because the internet has unified people in a way that has never been done before. “It has increased access to information, representation, perspective, and connection,” Walker added.

Courtney and Tay Tousana, Founders of Pussy Power, a lifestyle brand that focuses on promoting wellness and diverse opportunities for all non-men and allies, is just one of the many brands that are working to change the conversation surrounding feminism. At Pussy Power, their unique approach to equality starts with redefining digital feminism. The Tousana sisters prioritize education above all else when creating content for their brand. A key component of any movement is awareness, and for brands like Pussy Power that is no exception. Within the digital feminist movement revaluating the power of language has been a game-changer in their efforts to create community and highlight the layered complexity of all women. In doing so, the brand discovered the power of open digital spaces and empowered activism. By providing individuals with not only the proper verbiage to express and uplift themselves but by also creating a safe space for those same people to introduce to others.

Yet, this wave of digital activism doesn’t come without some criticism. Debarati Das, a writer from the online publication Feminism India said, “Despite the change that online feminist activism is capable of bringing about today, digital activists often have to face invalidation because many still perceive online activism as less valid or inadequate”.

But what does this mean for the movement moving forward? In what ways can we work collectively to make the world a more equitable place for all? Both Walker and the team at Pussy Power stress the importance of investing resources in four initiatives, which will help to create lasting change.

Areas of Focus:

• Intentional Messaging
• Educational/Collaborative Spaces
• Panel Discussions
• Promote Diverse Visibility

Now while the strategies for continuing to amplify female voices and showcase diverse experiences may feel too ambiguous, the attempt is equally as important as the result. For the digital feminist movement, and similar efforts, true change is measured over time by continuous effort. This chapter of the feminist movement is as important as those that came before, and those that will follow. A key factor that the Tousana sisters continue to reiterate is that “we don’t have to play their game.” Innovation may seem intimidating, but the impact continues to remind us all that “women are powerful.”