Babyface at its core is about providing a platform for women. This week as we celebrate International Women’s Day, more than ever, we wanted to pass the mic over to our community and find out why we still need to talk about feminism. We asked them if they celebrated IWD, why it’s important and their hopes for the future of feminism.
Clio Peppiatt, Fashion Designer
Did you do anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I was at Uxbridge College to speak to the students about having my own business as a young woman. The event aims to teach students to challenge gender equality, to encourage more girls into further education and careers and to support women’s achievements.
Charlie Craggs, Trans Activist
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
So that it’s no longer a dirty word and so that it’s a word every girl (and boy) proudly identifies with. If you log off your Facebook and step outside of your inner circle of woke, progressive friends it’s apparent that the masses still ain’t getting it, even with Beyoncé spelling it out for them!
Kusheda Mensah, Unfinished Biz
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
A place where we don’t have to do women-only events. Not only because everywhere is a safe space but because we’re no longer being excluded from larger spaces.
Jade Jackman, Journalist and Filmmaker
Are you doing anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I spoke at an event in Madrid with Aleks Bilic as part of a Boiler Room event. There were also women on hunger strike in Madrid, in protest against the government’s domestic violence laws so I joined their event that day too.
Victoria Spratt, Journalist
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
In 1970, the women’s liberation movement met in Oxford and they wanted three things: equal pay, proper maternity rights and accessible abortion for all women. We still have a gender pay gap, this country has the worst maternity packages in Europe and abortion is illegal in Ireland and in England you still have to be signed off by two doctors before you can access treatment. When we’ve achieved those three things we can start talking feminist utopias.
Anna Sudit, Illustrator
Did you do anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Growing up, my dad brought my mum flowers every March 8th. Yesterday I bought myself flowers and called my mum.
BORN n BREAD, DJ Collective
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
Feminism needs to have more of a dialogue with non-white women teamed with more collaborative support between men and women.
Portia Ferrari, Model
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
To rid the word of any stigma. Feminism isn’t about suppressing masculinity it’s about respecting and loving women.
Piu Piu, DJ
Did you do anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I curated a whole day on Rinse France, for an IWD take-over. It was a day of DJ shows with talks and interviews centering on topics like women in culture; 4th wave feminism, diversity, and sisterhood. I’m lucky enough to have amazing women involved, like, Josey Rebelle, Eclair Fifi and Louisahhh!!!
Lola Coca, Musician
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
We need to continue the conversation when women are treated as islands in competition with each other. Our nature is better served when we nurture and encourage each other. Feminism allows women to share in confidence and more importantly, to be heard.
Claire Davies, Designer
Did you do anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
I caught up with my women! Sipped’ tea and played goddess cards.
Alice Casely-Hayford, Journalist
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
Until we live in a time when both men and women unashamedly refer to themselves as feminists we must continue to talk about feminism as part of our daily discourses, whether that’s casually amongst friends and family, in the press or on the global stage via protests. Feminism is more than a SS17 trend and I feel very privileged to work somewhere where women are recognised and championed every single day.
Sofie Fatouretchi, DJ
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
For equality’s sake. I believe there’s still a lot of misunderstanding, sadly, about the term itself and its subsequent connotations.
Liv Little, Editor in Chief Gal-dem
Did you do anything to celebrate International Women’s Day?
To celebrate IWD we hosted a women of colour link up at WAH Nails. We invited our favourite creative women of colour to get together, organise and dance.
Taiba Akhuetie, Co Founder Keash Braids
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
Being a feminist now can feel like a battle. In the same way I don’t want someone to look at me and see colour, I don’t want someone to look at me and judge me for being a woman.
Louise Chen, DJ
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
The fact that the President of the United States can openly talk about women like they are objects (“grab the pussy”), the fact that the higher women rise in a corporate hierarchy the wider the wage gap becomes, alongside the statistic that only 5% of Indian women have chosen their husbands, would suggest that there’s still a lot of work to do.
Kieran Yates, Journalist and Broadcaster
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
There is still a massive disparity between the lived experiences of men and women globally, especially women of colour. In the UK alone, women are being stripped of their rights in Yarl’s Wood detention centre, Muslim women are victims of hate crime and even politicians like Diane Abbott who represent hope for visibility in overwhelmingly white male spaces, is forced to wade through racism and misogyny on a daily basis.
Lotte Andersen, Artist
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
The future of feminism is intersectional. It’s important to consider that a black women’s experience of the world is incomparable to that of her white counterparts. The conversation should continue to widen and in order to encompass the particular oppressions and micro aggressions of all women across class, ethnicity and genders.
Tyson Mcvey, Musician
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
I hope the future of feminism is even more open and inclusive. I’d love to see younger and younger girls taking up space and saying things we haven’t dared to say before.
Antonia Marsh, Curator
Why do we need to continue to talk about feminism?
Feminism may be mentioned more prevalently in 2017 than ever before, but to my knowledge, outside of academic circles, it’s barely discussed in depth. We need to begin to expand our understanding of what feminism actually offers as well as how its ideologies can be applied in everyday life.
Elizabeth De La Piedra, Photographer
What do you hope the future of feminism looks like?
I hope it looks like love.
Credits
Text Claire Burman and Nellie Eden