Feminism, a powerful social and political movement that has shaped the world for decades, stands at a crucial juncture. As we peer into the future, it's evident that feminism is evolving, adapting to new challenges, and becoming increasingly intersectional. The future of feminism promises to be both inspiring and complex, as it continues to champion gender equality and confront the many facets of inequality and discrimination.
The Women's March started off as a worldwide wakeup call to women's frustrations. (Sarah Morris/Getty Images)
Five well-known feminists and academics share their opinions on the direction of feminism in honour of Women's History Month.
1. Mickey Kendall.
Mikki Kendall is an author, activist, and cultural critic.
(Mikki Kendall)
She hopes that in 20 years, feminists would analyse how proposed policies will affect women throughout all communities, not simply privileged white women. As the effects on people with the least privilege and resources would always come first, mainstream feminism would inevitably produce and uphold intersectional policies. She said:” Feminist marchers would turn up en masse to protest everything from police brutality to cuts to food aid….Instead of bans based on religion and race, family separation policies, and arbitrary bigotry dictating who is worthy of citizenship, we could steer away from colonialist ideals of a nation that only serves the interests of the rich. We'd see mainstream feminism support movements ranging from disability rights to labor activism because it would understand that every issue that impacts women is a feminist issue.”
2. Samhita Mukhopadhyay
Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the executive editor of Teen Vogue and the co-editor of the anthology Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America.
According to Samhita, assessing the advancement of feminism can be difficult. Women's lives are far better now than they have ever been in many aspects. However, there are other areas where feminism's work is still very much needed: women who lack access to sanitary products; women who are battling for access to reproductive health care in particular states; and women who are always at risk of harassment and assault, to mention a few.
(Samhita Mukhopadhyay)
There are several areas in which we might direct our feminist energies, but when we consider the position of women around the world over the next 20 years and beyond, climate change is the one disaster that is frequently regarded as a gendered issue despite not being one. Women are particularly susceptible to the effects of mass migrations and house loss when communities are uprooted (one figure is that 80 percent of individuals relocated due to climate change are women). According to the renowned statement of ecofeminist and activist Vandana Shiva, "We are either going to have a future where women lead the way to make peace with the Earth, or we are not going to have a human future at all."
3. Ai-jen Poo
Ai-jen Poo is the director of Caring Across Generations, an advocacy group for families and domestic workers, and the director of National Domestic Workers Alliance.
As Ại-jen had stated, in the past, male-dominated structures and politics have been zero-sum games: I have to give up more for you to have more. Value is gained through devaluation elsewhere, and one must lose in order for one to succeed. It's a system predicated on scarcity, and the powerful constructed it as an illusion to hold onto their position of authority.
(Ai-jen Poo)
She said that, after decades of living and working in society's shadows and being shut out of established power structures, domestic workers have turned to one another to create power rather than seeking out existing sources to steal it. In a society where everyone is supported in reaching their greatest potential, future feminism paves the way. When professional women working from home aren't gaining power at the expense of the domestic workers who keep them comfortable in their homes, and every worker is respected for what they bring to our economy. Where they seek for mutual value additions from one another rather than power grabs. Only then will we be able to create a society that values each individual with dignity and respect, giving them credit for their lives and accomplishments. It's the feminism of the future, and it's the end of zero-sum politics.
4. Carmen Rojas.
Carmen Rojas is the founder of the Workers Lab and the soon-to-be CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, which provides grants to low-income families advocating for change.
Through the Carmen Rojas eyes, The experiences of Black, Asian, Native, and Latinx people will be closely linked to the feminist movement. The experiences of Black, Asian, Native, and Latinx people will be closely linked to the feminist movement. It will be influenced by liberty, sovereignty, belonging, and movement-building politics.
(Carmen Rojas)
There will be a feminism of intellectuals and organisers, a feminism of artists and inventors, and a feminism of political leaders and presidents.
The campaigns for representation, political power, and economic opportunity will all be heavily influenced by the next generation of feminism. It will include conceiving and building a democracy and economy that serve all of us, as well as safeguarding the weaker members of society and holding those responsible for our safety accountable.
5. Jaclyn Friedman.
Jaclyn Friedman is a feminist writer and activist. She hosts Unscrewed, a podcast exploring paths to sexual liberation, and co-edited the new book Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World.
Finally, according to Jaclyn Friedman, one of the main goals of feminism, according to white feminists, is to undermine white supremacy. The foundation of white supremacist ideology is the subjection of women. Men who espouse this ideology sterilise women of colour against their will, permit pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths at startlingly high rates, and even outright rape and kill them in an effort to prevent them from bearing additional children. That's the reason why overthrowing white supremacy is a necessary step on every feminist's route to emancipation.
(Jaclyn Friedman)
She also said that, it might have revolutionary political effects if white feminists can persuade more white women to renounce their white supremacist alliance.
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