Feminism is a Movement to end Sexism, Sexist Exploitation, and Oppression!
Young girls are told you have to be the delicate princess. Hermione taught them that you can be the warrior.
Emma Watson
Whether you are newly minted or a long time ally you have been realizing that feminism is a centuries-old movement fighting for the equality of sexes. The essential part of achieving this goal is to combat the patriarchy. What is patriarchy? It is a word that gets thrown around a lot, and for those us who are not feminists scholars, it can be sometimes hard to properly define. The dictionary defines patriarchy as ” a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.” I think, Bell Hooks expressed it best when defining the overall goal, she said that “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression!” I am sorry that a misconception of the feminist movement in the mainstream media has led many to judge and criticize. Luckily, we live in the 21st century and it has never been easier to expand our knowledge.
So much information and so many perspectives are available online, we can easily teach ourselves about intersectional issues, gender studies, and feminist theory. Among books, journals, scholar´s articles, there are a wide variety of websites for feminists. This is the starting point, from which you can get an idea of where to go to explore different schools of thought, debates, and contradictions. From newbie to educated intersectional veteran let´s explore, learn and shape our perspectives. Empower yourself to empower others!
Let´s take a look at these 10 feminists websites.
Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls organization is dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves. Amy continues to acknowledge and support girls who are changing the world by being themselves. They emphasize intelligence and imagination over “fitting in.” They celebrate curiosity over gossip. They are a place where people can truly be their weird and wonderful selves.
Ms. was the first national magazine to make feminist voices audible, feminist journalism tenable, and a feminist worldview available to the public. When Ms. was launched as a one-shot sample insert in New York magazine in December 1971, few realized it would become the landmark institution in both women’s rights and American journalism that it is today. Today, Ms. remains the most trusted, popular source for feminist news and information in print and online.
3. Feminist Majority Foundation
Feminist Majority Foundation is a cutting edge organization dedicated to women’s equality, reproductive health, and non-violence. In all spheres, FMF utilizes research and action to empower women economically, socially, and politically.
The Ladies Finger is about gender, culture and the points where gender and culture intersect.
Gender Matters, India blog, is a project from Centre for Social Research in New Delhi, India. Their mission is to empower the women and girls of India, guarantee their fundamental rights, and increase understanding of social issues from a gender perspective.
The mission of Brown Girl Magazine is to empower millennial women through features, interviews, stories, and discussion, we aim to create a community that helps young women see their strengths, develop self-confidence, and become well-rounded, independent leaders.
7. Feministing
Feministing is one of my favorite feminist news websites, with fantastic coverage of everything from pop culture to presidential campaigns to activism on college campuses. Their staff includes young feminists and plenty of writers of color; both long and short reads are featured on the site, and articles are occasionally accompanied by multimedia.
Join comedian Deborah Frances-White and her special guests as they discuss topics ‘all 21st century feminists agree on’ while confessing their insecurities, hypocrisies and fears that underlie their lofty principles. Deborah Frances-White is the 2016 Writers’ Guild Award Winner for Best Radio Comedy for her hit BBC Radio 4 series Deborah Frances-White Rolls the Dice. She is an Edinburgh Fringe regular, screenwriter and is hugely in demand for her corporate seminars.
9. Adios Barbie
A feminist site whose mission was to broaden the concepts of body image to include race, gender, LGBTQ, dis/ability, age, and size. Also about intersectionality, and radical self-acceptance.
10. The f-word
The F-Word publishes feminist reviews, blogs & features. We promote discussion of contemporary feminism. We’re a diverse team with diverse opinions.