This is what 1000 feminists look like

Nov 17, 2011 by Helen    No Comments    Posted under: Events, News

On Saturday I went along to the FEM11 event in London organised by one of EQUALS’ supporting partners, UK Feminista.

Now I’ve been a feminist in attitude if not in name since I sat down in the middle of the school cricket pitch aged nine until the boys agreed to let girls play. But I’ll be honest and say I was a tinsey bit apprehensive about being in a room with 1,000 feminists, this being my first official sisterhood event.

As soon as I got there I knew I had nothing to worry about. A packed out hall buzzing with friendly chat, a decent number of men (who I don’t think had got lost looking for a loo or were there to pull) and what cheered me up most… half the room were under 30.

(Thanks to Spiral Perspective for the photo.)

UK Feminista founder Kat Banyard opened the event with a personal and passionate story of what had led her to this point in time.  Then the ever witty Sandi Toksvig (who you might have seen on Q.I) led us giggling through a history of women in literature, pointing out what a lousy deal girls have been given in books.

My favourite line from Sandi: “If Rapunzel had long enough hair for a man to climb up and rescue her, why didn’t she just make a rope and climb down herself?”

The day unfolded with workshops from all kinds of groups, including some of EQUALS’ partners.  Platform 51 talked about how the government cuts are disproportionately affecting women, and busted some myths about what its really like to be a teenage mum.

OBJECT ran a really popular session on the growing culture of sex objectification, sharing their campaigns to reduce the number of lap dancing clubs, and getting lads mags covered up and sold from the top shelf, away from the eyes of children.

Check out this video of one of their direct actions in a supermarket chain who have banned customers from shopping in their PJs as it ’causes offence’, but happily display sexually objectified images of women on the shelves.

A debate session with some inspiring speakers including Shami Chakrabati, from human rights group Liberty, and Zoe Williams from the Guardian, got quite heated. There were some good questions from the audience about sex workers, getting more women into the cabinet, and how the media portray women.

But the person who impressed me most was Carlene Firmin, a writer who has also done a lot of work with girls in gangs and is the youngest black woman to receive an MBE.  She talked about how young women are experiencing discrimination, abuse and violence and often don’t realise it.  That feminism needs to make itself relevant to the younger generation, and how we all need to get out there and try harder to wake people up to the inequalities that still exist between men and women.

EQUALS is backing that idea 100%, and we’re planning on making an even bigger noise for International Women’s Day 2012 so don’t go anywhere.

In the meantime, you can do one of our Mighty Little Deeds that will help make the world a little more equal.

Or have a click round UKFeminista and get involved in their activist groups and events.

Got anything to say? Go ahead and leave a comment!