Networked feminism

Networked Feminism

Networked feminism occurs when women and men use social media to connect and network as a means of advancing gender equality. Networked feminism has resulted in increased vocabulary and awareness about gender in the United States' national media dialogue. Networked feminism is not a coordinated feminist movement nor spearheaded by one singular women's group, but, rather, it is the manifestation of social media's ability to make traditionally unrepresented voices and viewpoints heard. Networked feminism consists of authentic, widespread, and crosscutting activism on behalf of gender equality. .

Networked feminism is becoming increasingly powerful as a movement. Indeed, "the strongest flavor of networked activism [today] is deeply [seemingly] feminist. There is a tenacious, super-wired coalition of active feminists prepared at a moment’s notice to blow the lid off sexist attacks or regressive health policy." . Social media has seemingly helped render the present day as an opportune moment for women's activism and women's involvement in national politics. .

t - more on that in a moment - there has never been a greater moment for women in national politics. Yet there was no organized "women's campaign," no single national organization pushing women candidates, no definable feminist political social media network. If you looked at social media and my "networked feminism" ideal, what worked was organic moments of authentic and widespread anger.

Impacts

The impact of networked feminism has been apparent in several recent cases.

Rush Limbaugh

In March 2012 Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown University Student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute," among other things, on his radio talk show. As a result of seemingly instantaneous and unofficially coordinated campaigns led by social-media savvy women, Limbaugh lost twelve advertisers and his show was eliminated from two radio stations.

Susan G Komen Foundation

In February 2012, it was discovered that breast cancer activist organization Susan G Komen for the Cure had decided to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. This sparked a networked response to the war on women’s health that was "across generations and extra-organizational with individual women using a variety of social media channels to connect with other women and create their own protests.”

Michael Moore and Julian Assange

In December 2010, filmmaker Michael Moore posted bail for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who had been jailed in England after rape charges were brought against him by two women in Sweden. Thousands of activists then used the #mooreandme tag on Twitter to successfully demand apologies from Moore, as well as American political talk show host Keith Olbermann, who had been publicly dismissive of the rape accusations. This networked feminist campaign helped demonstrated that all rape accusations must be taken seriously, regardless of the status of the accused offender.

Networked Feminism

Networked feminism occurs when women and men use social media to connect and network as a means of advancing gender equality. Networked feminism has resulted in increased vocabulary and awareness about gender in the United States' national media dialogue. Networked feminism is not a coordinated feminist movement nor spearheaded by one singular women's group, but, rather, it is the manifestation of social media's ability to make traditionally unrepresented voices and viewpoints heard. Networked feminism consists of authentic, widespread, and crosscutting activism on behalf of gender equality. .

Networked feminism is becoming increasingly powerful as a movement. Indeed, "the strongest flavor of networked activism [today] is deeply [seemingly] feminist. There is a tenacious, super-wired coalition of active feminists prepared at a moment’s notice to blow the lid off sexist attacks or regressive health policy." . Social media has seemingly helped render the present day as an opportune moment for women's activism and women's involvement in national politics. .

t - more on that in a moment - there has never been a greater moment for women in national politics. Yet there was no organized "women's campaign," no single national organization pushing women candidates, no definable feminist political social media network. If you looked at social media and my "networked feminism" ideal, what worked was organic moments of authentic and widespread anger.

Impacts

The impact of networked feminism has been apparent in several recent cases.

Rush Limbaugh

In March 2012 Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown University Student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute," among other things, on his radio talk show. As a result of seemingly instantaneous and unofficially coordinated campaigns led by social-media savvy women, Limbaugh lost twelve advertisers and his show was eliminated from two radio stations.

Susan G Komen Foundation

In February 2012, it was discovered that breast cancer activist organization Susan G Komen for the Cure had decided to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. This sparked a networked response to the war on women’s health that was "across generations and extra-organizational with individual women using a variety of social media channels to connect with other women and create their own protests.”

Michael Moore and Julian Assange

In December 2010, filmmaker Michael Moore posted bail for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who had been jailed in England after rape charges were brought against him by two women in Sweden. Thousands of activists then used the #mooreandme tag on Twitter to successfully demand apologies from Moore, as well as American political talk show host Keith Olbermann, who had been publicly dismissive of the rape accusations. This networked feminist campaign helped demonstrated that all rape accusations must be taken seriously, regardless of the status of the accused offender.