Online Activism- Feminism Fights Back With Hashtags

If social media does one thing, it provides a platform in which various groups and people and get their message out there for people to see. Many social media campaigns have rocked our world the past couple of years, the biggest possible being #BlackLivesMatter. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, multicultural groups often utilize Twitter and other social media to make their voices known. One movement that often engage in online activism is the Feminist movement. 

So, what exactly is activism? Activism is an intentional action to bring about social and political change. activism and advocacy are similar in nature (Steele, 2016). Often, activism takes place in waves online. 

So, let's talk about two feminist hashtags that took over Twitter to bring about social and policitcal change. 

• #RedMyLips

This hashtag is named after a campaign that was started Danielle Tansino in 2012. She started this hashtag movement after she was sexually assaulted while she was drunk. Her case was never taken to court because she was told that "jurors don't like drunk girls". This campaign became an outlet for survivors that are blamed for their sexual assault. Assault is NEVER the victim's fault. 

I felt this was appropriate to touch on since April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. 

To view the campaign's website, click here.

• #FreeTheFive

This campaign swept social media after 5 Chinese girls that protested domestic violence in blood spattered wedding gowns were arrested in 2015. Their arrest soon led to outrage all over the world, and even led to grassroots protests. 

A feminist Chinese blogger even told the New York Times: "I think we can call them the first modern, independent, feminist, grassroots actors in Chinese history," 

Here is some examples of Tweets: 

All they wanted to do was help women's rights on #IWD2015. Protest isn't a crime. #FreeTheFive 

http://amn.st/60144eGO

翌日の抗議活動の準備中。
香港から。
RT"@Anon_Snufkin: making preparations for tomorrow#FreeTheFive solidarity protest in #HongKong"

These are just two campaigns out of the many. To find more feminist online campaigns, click here. 

Other examples are #OlderWomenVoices, #RapeCultureIsWhen, and #EverydaySexism. 

Online activism is important for multiple groups. For feminists in particular, it gives them a platform to discuss and expose what women go through that the larger population may not even realize. In the #FreeTheFive example, it provided world solidarity for girls that were merely standing up against domestic abuse. 

In Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky, he says that the internet age has provided people with a way to easily gather for a cause. This is evident in the numerous Twitter campaigns that have taken place. However, Shirky also admits that though online activism gives groups a way to mobilize and say their opinion, people don't do anything about the causes in which they are fighting for. 

Now, I have heard this argument before. That all we do is tweet, but we don't actually do anything about it. I think people don't give online activism enough credit. There has been many instances when I found out about an issue merely from social media that I would have never seen on the news. 

All the things I have talked about before: power, stereotypes, privilege. These are things that are continuously exposed through social media. Can we do more that tweet? Of course. We can always do more. 

However, educating the masses and bringing attention to these social problems is a good first step.