Cultural Studies 1

CULTURAL STUDIES (MEDIA, IDENTITY, AND EVERYDAY LIFE) -RESEARCH

ESSAY

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 Cultural Studies 2

1. How is feminist movement undertaken via online medium? Censoriously evaluate an

instance of a detailed feminist movement or a set for your examination.

Reproductive rights, domestic abuse, maternity benefits, equal pay, woman's liberation,

sexual misconduct, and sexual violence are just a few of the problems that the feminist

movement advocates for reform. The movement has different priorities in different countries and

communities, such as opposing female genital mutilation or the glass ceiling. The Campaign had

three waves since it started in the West in the late 19th century1. First-wave feminism advocated

for suffrage and political equality and was focused on the position of middle- or upper-class

white women. The goal of second-wave feminism was to challenge social and cultural injustices

further. Renewing the fight for women's increased political influence is a component of third-

wave feminism.

Women's empowerment activism has expanded over the past few years into the digital

sphere as feminists have gotten better at starting campaigns and discussions on the internet.2 As

an outcome, there has been numerous online activism efforts which have improved the globe.

Currently, women's rights are a strange keyword in publicizing, and several makes include it in

their movements and make it the dominant theme to question sex conventions and permit

womanhood. Modern feminism has increasingly moved away from ferocious protests and

aggressive turnouts. To a certain extent, digitization enables more extensive feminist dialogues,

1
Jain, Shruti. n.d. “The Rising Fourth Wave: Feminist Activism on Digital Platforms in India.” ORF. Accessed
October 18, 2022. https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-rising-fourth-wave-feminist-activism-on-digital-
platforms-in-india/#_edn1.
2
Das, Debarati. 2019. “Why Digital Feminist Activism Is Real and Valid.” Feminism in India. August 25, 2019.
https://feminisminindia.com/2019/08/26/digital-feminist-activism-real-and-valid/#:~:text=Through%20the%20use
%20of%20technology%20as.
 Cultural Studies 3

transcending spatial constraints and rethinking what activism and social movements might

entail.3 It gives other marginalized women a platform for new chances at empowerment.

How is Feminist Activism Undertaken through Digital Platforms?

The globe's economic, social, and political environment has radically changed due to

technology's fusion with the physical world. Theoretically, technology—embodied by the digital

revolution—allows governments to design a more egalitarian future.4 Since they make the

activist campaign more reachable, enhance variety, and foster headship in a direction that has in

history needed these abilities, apparatuses like bloggery and social networking have aided

democratize it. Online or "cyber-feminists" use web-blogging and social networking tools for

civic growth and politic mobilization. Multinational feminist systems are made conceivable by

social networking's swift cross-border circulation of facts and data. Activists have apprehended

digital culture using online resources, comicality, and other advanced sardonic formats as a

channel of communication.

Through door-to-door or street campaigns, traditional offline activism mobilized

supporters through the support of existent social media and affiliation with organizations,

political alliance, or didactic establishments.5 However, online activism may mobilize many

people in minutes compared to offline action. Additionally, it encourages an cooperative tactic in

which various sets of individuals can contribute through articles, petitions, and web log posted

online whereas interacting with one another—a select few mainly shaped global feminism

3
Jain, Shruti. n.d. “The Rising Fourth Wave: Feminist Activism on Digital Platforms in India.” ORF. Accessed
October 18, 2022. https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-rising-fourth-wave-feminist-activism-on-digital-
platforms-in-india/#_edn1.
4
Ibid (n 3)
5
“Thoughts on Feminism and Its Critics.” n.d. Briantomasik.com. Accessed October 18, 2022.
https://briantomasik.com/feminism-and-critics/#back_ajs-fn-id_1-1034.
 Cultural Studies 4

movements through academic discourse before developing digital platforms.6 Although most

campaigns still rely heavily on academia, cyberfeminism has opened up new avenues for

feminist activity.

Feminism has traditionally been perceived through a narrow Western lens. An inclusive,

global feminist movement is hampered by the perception of "third world women" as a

victimized, "powerless" group compared to liberated Western feminists.7 But as additional

females of various origins, ethnicity, socioeconomic groups, and cultural backgrounds access the

Internet, the feminist treatise broadens to incorporate the views of those formerly silenced. This

assist a post-modernist and post-colonial idea of equal rights that ethics variety inside the

campaign and appreciates that there are countless realities, parts, and truths. It allows the less

represented sets of females to reconsider women's rights in light of their involvements and

beliefs. However, because dominant cultures and languages greatly influence determining who

can be perceived, involved, and seen in the campaign, digital feminist engagement can also be

exclusionist.8 Reaching the masses is frequently hampered by the disparity in internet availability

between geographical places and socioeconomic class structures. Additionally, cyberbullying,

sex exploitation, and harassment have increased in the internet sphere. In addition to fostering

existing forms of misogyny, it also promotes the emergence of new ones closely linked to some

platforms' algorithmic politics, the cultural prejudice that permeates the development of these

technologies, and the communities that utilize them.

6
“Thoughts on Feminism and Its Critics.” n.d. Briantomasik.com. Accessed October 18, 2022.
https://briantomasik.com/feminism-and-critics/#back_ajs-fn-id_1-1034.
7
Jain, Shruti. n.d. “The Rising Fourth Wave: Feminist Activism on Digital Platforms in India.” ORF. Accessed
October 18, 2022. https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-rising-fourth-wave-feminist-activism-on-digital-
platforms-in-india/#_edn1.
8
Das, Debarati. 2019. “Why Digital Feminist Activism Is Real and Valid.” Feminism in India. August 25, 2019.
https://feminisminindia.com/2019/08/26/digital-feminist-activism-real-and-valid/#:~:text=Through%20the%20use
%20of%20technology%20as.
 Cultural Studies 5

Some feminists believe that oppressive inequalities ingrained in a global political

economy are replicated in the digital world. Others see it as a fresh opportunity for global

feminism networking and a chance to actively participate in their revolution, regardless of where

they are. Others find that the Internet provides a "safe space" where they may organize and resist

oppressive gender regimes in addition to sharing similar experiences. Despite the significant

contributions that digital activism has made to developing a new feminist movement, it is

frequently seen as having a narrow perspective. Instances like the Nirbhaya movement show that

cyberfeminism is more reactive than offline movements and is often episodic or in response to an

occurrence.9 A higher burnout rate may occur among online participants than conventional on-

ground participants due to short-term planning and the prevalence of online hate. Cyberfeminist

movements can pick up steam and lose it just as rapidly.

UN Feminist Campaign

The Feminist UN Campaign brings together prominent feminist thinkers from academia,

charity, civil society, and former UN officials. Staff members around the UN's common goal for

women's rights and gender equality. The demand for feminist leadership in the United Nations

(UN) was unprecedented when Secretary-General (SG.) António Guterres assumed office in

January 2017.10 This push has remained, driven mainly by feminist activists and groups

representing women in civil society. "Toward a More Feminist United Nations," a report

presenting a comprehensive vision for feminist leadership throughout the UN, w11as published in

9
Das, Debarati. 2019. “Why Digital Feminist Activism Is Real and Valid.” Feminism in India. August 25, 2019.
https://feminisminindia.com/2019/08/26/digital-feminist-activism-real-and-valid/#:~:text=Through%20the%20use
%20of%20technology%20as.
10
Ana, It’s me. 2021. “5 Inspiring Feminist Campaigns You Should Know.” Medium. March 17, 2021.
https://itsmeana.medium.com/5-inspiring-feminist-campaigns-you-should-know-7c94dc5f972a.
11
“International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).” n.d. Medium. Accessed October 20, 2022.
https://icrw.medium.com/.
 Cultural Studies 6

2017 by the ICRW on behalf of the Feminist UN Campaign system.12 After the Secretary-

General was chosen, the Campaign subsequently published a list of suggestions for a 100-day

plan that he may carry out to bring about genuine and significant change within that vision. The

Campaign evaluated Secretary-General Guterres' performance against recommendations for

advancing women's rights and gender equality at the UN after those 100 days. It published its

first progress report, indicating that performance would continue to be evaluated yearly.

The number of online depictions of sex disparity created in such apparent locations as the

Google exploration appliance greatly alarmed UN Females,13 who determine to act and produce a

sequence of advertisements that utilize actual Google explorations to demonstrate how pervasive

and prevalent chauvinism and ladies' discernment is. Based on the investigations from 2013,

UN14 Women reflects the extent to which females are unprotected to harmful labels and outright

renunciation of their liberties. It became apparent to UN Women that there has never been a

more pressing need to advance women's rights and equality. The "The Autocomplete Truth"

Campaign's concept was relatively straightforward: four ladies from various parts of the globe

were shot while having Google auto-complete sentences sited on their utterance to symbolize

how women's power of speech are suppressed all over the world.15 The movement, which used

the hashtag #women should circulate through numerous update internet site and web log,

eventually achieved great success, garnering countless headlines in the most well-known

magazines and websites and receiving 755 million views worldwide.

12
Boluk, Karla A., Christina T. Cavaliere, and Freya Higgins-Desbiolles. 2019. “A Critical Framework for
Interrogating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda in Tourism.” Journal of Sustainable
Tourism 27 (7): 847–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1619748
13
“Feminist U.N. Campaign.” n.d. ICRW | PASSION. PROOF. POWER. https://www.icrw.org/feminist-un-
campaign/#:~:text=The%20Feminist%20U.N.
14
Ibid (n 13)
15
Ibid (n 12)
 Cultural Studies 7

Women can create their own identities online because of the choice of anonymity. They

can talk about topics typically viewed as too "sensitive" to discuss publicly. African American

women's political activism online shows how cyberfeminism may cut across states, countries,

and social classes for women of color.16 For instance, digital feminists started the hashtag

#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen to combat the prejudice found in online feminist discussions that

mainly focus on issues affecting mid-class white females. The hashtag gained popularity and

offered females of color a chance to regain their online descriptions. Several people use the

Cyber space as a "harmless zone" to express themselves in opposition to harsh gender norms in

the offline world. Another example of how a global feminist organization has successfully used

the Internet is the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan's increased public

awareness and opposition to the oppressive Taliban dictatorship.17

Conclusion

Recognizing the significance of readily available and reasonably priced information and

communication technology is required to realize digital activism's potential fully. The emphasis

should be on developing educational initiatives that show underrepresented groups how to use

and gain access to these technologies. It's also essential to link offline, on-the-ground enterprises

with internet action to reach the women who aren't online yet. The concept of females as a

homogeneous collection whose benefits would be signified via a single plan was challenged by

earlier feminist movements. Cyberfeminism must develop into a more varied, decentralized, and

democratic movement to evade reproducing the harmful spectrum of outdated women's rights.18

16
“Thoughts on Feminism and Its Critics.” n.d. Briantomasik.com. Accessed October 18, 2022.
https://briantomasik.com/feminism-and-critics/#back_ajs-fn-id_1-1034.
17
Ibid (n 16)
18
Boluk, Karla A., Christina T. Cavaliere, and Freya Higgins-Desbiolles. 2019. “A Critical Framework for
Interrogating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda in Tourism.” Journal of Sustainable
Tourism 27 (7): 847–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1619748
 Cultural Studies 8

The digital divide needs to be closed to increase disadvantaged women's participation. To expand

the schedule, the voices of the marginalized must be fairly represented. While promoting rights

online, feminist movements and organizations should consider local cultural and social variables.

Additionally, more weight ought to be put on régimes, businesses, and other community

organizations to take active part and help create a social and legal framework necessary to

identify and address internet sexism. It's critical to understand that, despite sexism online may

seem a recent issue, it has its roots in traditional gender roles and systems of power. Digital

spaces are a means, not an end, to the goal of expanding the inclusivity and transparency of

feminist resistance.
 Cultural Studies 9

Bibliography

Ana, It's me. 2021. "5 Inspiring Feminist Campaigns You Should Know." Medium. March 17,

2021. https://itsmeana.medium.com/5-inspiring-feminist-campaigns-you-should-know-

7c94dc5f972a.

Boluk, Karla A., Christina T. Cavaliere, and Freya Higgins-Desbiolles. 2019. "A Critical

Framework for Interrogating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030

Agenda in Tourism." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 27 (7): 847–64.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1619748.

Das, Debarati. 2019. "Why Digital Feminist Activism Is Real and Valid." Feminism in India.

August 25, 2019. https://feminisminindia.com/2019/08/26/digital-feminist-activism-real-

and-valid/#:~:text=Through%20the%20use%20of%20technology%20as.

"Feminist UN Campaign." n.d. ICRW | PASSION. PROOF. POWER.

https://www.icrw.org/feminist-un-campaign/#:~:text=The%20Feminist%20U.N.

"International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)." n.d. Medium. Accessed October 20,

2022. https://icrw.medium.com/.

Jain, Shruti. n.d. "The Rising Fourth Wave: Feminist Activism on Digital Platforms in India."

ORF. Accessed October 18, 2022. https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-rising-fourth-

wave-feminist-activism-on-digital-platforms-in-india/#_edn1.

"Thoughts on Feminism and Its Critics." n.d. Briantomasik.com. Accessed October 18, 2022.

https://briantomasik.com/feminism-and-critics/#back_ajs-fn-id_1-1034.