Thursday, August 30, 2012

Blog 1: Training Feminism's Next Wave


In Britain, new waves of Feminists are being trained and educated in ways of nonviolent protests. The Suffragette Summer School is a two-day training camp that hopes to educate and inspire a new generation of Feminists.  There are more than 500 individuals that have already signed up to participate in learning creative and legal ways to put feminist issues into the spotlight again. The organizers of the camp want to express the importance that people know their legal rights to protest as well as feminism being alive.  In Britain’s Parliament there are still gender inequalities such as men outnumbering women four to one. This growing resurgence of feminism has been sparked in part due to a string of feminist publications. Questions are being asked about what can this movement do instead of “ Where is feminism?”  There are several protests planned   to help the participant put their new ideas and skills into action. Protests are planned to be outside the House of Commons in October and another one in response to delegates meeting for the pornography industry at an annual conference. Kat Banyard, founder of UK Feminista, says that this new movement is “ a reminder that there is a global movement out there, they are not on their own.”  She emphasizes that the very act of coming together can be very powerful in its self.
            In our first week of class we have been talking about how to start at movement. I was excited when I found this article because I think this movement in Britain, gives a better understanding of how to see a social movement addressing social issues in stages. Feeling that women are still unequal to men in their country the organizers and participants are trying to bring social recognition that gender inequality is still prominent.  The surge in published media discussing feminism in mainstream society in Britain is helping in the process of social legitimation. Finally this two-day camp is bringing awareness to people and what their rights are to protest. These groups plan on mobilizing for action is scheduling two protests in the upcoming months. I think this was a great article that illustrates how to start a movement. As a woman its nice to read articles that feminism is not dead and people are starting to revitalize the movement.
Jennifer Fales

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