Empowering Feminist Moments and Initiatives of 2019 and 2020
Inspiration can be found anywhere, especially if you are a college student with exposure to captivating discourse revolving around current issues and social movements that impact most, if not everyone around you, in one way or another. One of the recurring themes of such discourse, is feminism; debate around which does involve us and empower us every single day. The year 2019 and the start of 2020 has had some exceptional moments, emphasising on the relevance of feminism in our day to day lives, and here are a few of those moments.
Abortion rights in Argentina have always been illegal, but 2019 saw a huge shift in the participation of women in protest. The adoption of green scarves to challenge the new abortion bill by thousands of women in Buenos Aires, was applauded by the international feminist community. In South Korea, the #NoMarriage movement was highlighted in the media, the protest was by women in solidarity with unmarried, single women who wish to take control of their own narratives instead of giving into tradition. The Chilean feminist movement gained prominence with the ‘anti-rape anthem’ made popular by women groups, drawing attention to the idea that sexual violence is a political issue and needs to be addressed accordingly. Women groups from across the globe participated in protesting for better implementation of women’s security policies; the anthem sung by women in Latin America, France and, even India.
The outburst on social media regarding the lack of a woman nominee for the second year in a row, for the ‘Best Director’ category in the Oscars, was met with a powerful statement made by actress, Natalie Portman; who wore a cape with the names of women directors sewed into it, in protest against the decision. Another highlight for the movement, from the Oscars, was that ‘Period. End of a Sentence.’ a documentary about menstruation won the award for the best documentary short subject category.
However, none of these has been more empowering than the participation of women in protests in India, itself. The end of 2019 saw the most emboldening movement by the women of Shaheen Bagh, who endured the harshest of temperatures to challenge the recent actions of the central government and have continued to inspire us by constantly engaging in dialogue and discourse regarding their rights. Similar protest groups being formed across the country. Women’s participation in times of political unrest reminds us that even though some issues may not impact us directly, there are several underlying concepts we do need to take cognisance of. This was displayed by the solidarity shown by student protestors, especially from all girls colleges, who have taken charge of the narrative their institutions represent.
Speaking of student-run initiatives, there needs to be focus on the magnitude of impact platforms have on students and society; such as Girl Up, a program focusing on the advocacy of health, education, safety and leadership of girls across the globe, which is now seen across your own campus in the form of different college chapters, or projects like Nazariya; promoting intersectional identities of women with emphasis on sexualities. Something as common as a Women’s Development Cell or Women’s Study Centre found across colleges, promotes engagement of students in discourse regarding gender and sexuality, and matters concerning the same, proving that there is a need for more and more participation of young women in projects pertaining to feminism.
These highlights from 2019 and the start of 2020 celebrate the evolution of the Feminist movement, reminding us of its contemporary significance, yet also making us realise that there is still a long way to go when it comes to matters regarding women’s security, basic rights and representation. Such moments inspire young feminists everywhere, and hence, need to be acknowledged in order to motivate students and younger women working at the grass root levels to make their voices heard; encouraging a compelling, new ‘take-charge’ attitude on the ground level, across the globe.
With the advent of Women’s History Month and the International Women’s Day, it becomes necessary to highlight the work of these women, who each from different backgrounds, have continued to work towards the upliftment of women. As college discourse in its many facets surrounds us. These women not only inspire us to raise our voice, render contributions to the movement, but also to celebrate their victories. It’s been few months into the year, and we can’t wait to see where these glorious women take us!