Written by Grace Doh
When posed the question of “what is feminism?” most would likely provide a definition along the lines of “the advocacy of gender equality.” While this is the most basic principle of feminist ideology, equality is only the end goal. Mainstream discussion about feminism often fails to recognize the additional obstacles that women of marginalized groups face – not only in the fight for balance between men and women but also for equality amongst women of all ethnicities and identities.
“Intersectional feminism” was coined in 1989 by American law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw. She describes intersectionality as “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” When viewing feminism through an intersectional lens, one must acknowledge that in order to progress towards gender equality, the unique struggles of women of color must not be neglected.
The idea of feminist activism has quickly filtered into commercial media in the past few decades, making gender equality a familiar point of discussion among influencers and public figures. As with any new trend in popular culture, proprietors of clothing and other merchandise have taken the opportunity to monetize off the phenomenon and use the language of feminism as a selling point. However, the struggle for women’s rights and empowerment is not a mere passing trend. Treating feminism as such patronizes the cause.
The brand of feminism presented to us in mainstream fashion merchandise is not only unhelpful, but it also poses its own set of problems. Companies catch wind of popular buzz-words surrounding social justice and print them on their products. These products summarize the kind of feminism that targets and serves a white, cisgender, upper/middle class demographic. Through this, they commodify and exploit the struggles of women of color and other marginalized groups, while simultaneously excluding them.
Further, the profits from this merchandise flow into the hands of wealthy, often male executives and corporate employees. In fact, Forever 21 and SHEIN, two companies who are infamous for their exploitative practices and pseudo-feminism, are both run by male CEOs. Labeling clothing items with feminist slogans is ultimately a fruitless endeavor unless the profit from sales is used to directly improve the lives of women in need.
There is a dark irony in the image of an overworked and underpaid woman in a Forever 21 production factory sewing T-shirts with print that advocate justice for women, all to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this is the reality of the many financially struggling women, whether they are young girls or mothers working to support their families. In 2001, 19 Latino garment workers, assisted by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, sued the company, saying they had worked 10 to 12 hour days without overtime in unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
The feminism presented on “#GirlBoss” T-shirts does not serve women of color, nor does it contribute to the state of women in general. In the end, commodified feminism creates a false sense of progress through products accessorized with hollow, uninformative declarations of justice that only minimize the gravity of the feminist cause and strip it of its politics.
Sources
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters https://www.huffpost.com/entry/forever-21-sweatshop-investigation_n_2025390
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