We are a group of students from years 7 - 11 who helped set up a Feminist Fridays lunchtime club at our school.
We began by ranting about all the sexist behaviour we encountered in school, such as sexual harassment and body shaming. This helped us realise that we are not alone and made us feel more capable of speaking back to others.
The group provides a positive space for us to talk, lift each other up and vent but we also channel this energy into different activities, such as charity fundraising, assemblies and poster campaigns.
Fund-raising
We are really proud of our fundraising efforts for local and international women’s rights charities. So far we have hosted a bake sale as well as designed and painted gender equality t-shirts. The money we raised has supported survivors of domestic violence.
It was great to work together and see the positive impact we could make in the world. The bake sale and our t-shirts have also helped raise the profile of our Feminist Fridays club around the school.
School assemblies and social media
We have also promoted feminist solidarity through an assembly we planned for Year 11. Each of us wrote an anonymous message about how life can be incredibly difficult for girls alone, without having to tear each other down and how we could be so much stronger if we worked together.
Inspired by the ‘I Weigh’ social media campaign, our group has also created our own posters that challenge body shaming and fatphobia, as well as celebrates attributes that make us feel good in our bodies such as great friends, laughter, feminism, pizza, science, music and more.
What Feminist Fridays means to us
“I’ve had a chance to talk about my experience and now I want to hear others point of view”
“It gives me a chance to fight catcalling and
raise money for various charities”
“It’s great to feel like I’m making a change, even if it’s little”
“Feminist Club really gives me something to look forward to in the week”
“I love being in the feminist group because…it lifts me and other girls up instead of shattering my self-esteem”
Teacher: ‘I think one of the things I first noticed, was the sort of fire that they had which grew in every meeting that we had.’
Think pieces to fuel Feminist Fires
NEU’s research into Sexism in Schools
A teenage feminist guide to the world right now
Why feminism still matters to young people
Teen Spirit: Young Feminist Heroes
We Speak to Teen Feminists of the Year
Championing Teenage Feminism - One Blog Post at a Time
The F-Word, What feminism means to teens now
Fourth-Wave Feminism
High School Boys Video about Why Feminism is Important Goes Viral
Inter-generational feminism
Fight school sexism: feminist theory hits the classroom
Why our feminism must be intersectional and 3 ways to promote it
#Arthoe: the teens who kickstarted a feminist art movement
First person accounts, interviews and case studies
Talking with fierce feminists
Don’t be a feminist cos boys won’t like that
An interview with feminist activist Perla Vasquez, by Mama Cash
I call myself a feminist, by Amy Annette, Yas Necati, Isabel Adomakoh Young
Teen feminist school group case studies
Follow the twitter threads #YOURVOICE2019 #FHSfemco at this high school Feminist Collective in Australia conference, ‘Unite, Empower and Disrupt’ designed by young people to inspire YOUNG PEOPLE to create a community, to deepen their understanding of feminism and to contemplate changing the world.
Feminist Websites
Young Feminist Wire - is an online community for and by young feminists working on women’s human rights, gender equality and social justice around the world
SPARK movement is a girls and young women’s intergenerational activist organization working online to ignite an anti-racist gender justice movement
Youth Culture Magazine DAZED page on ‘Feminism’
Teen Feminists: feminist from a teenage perspective
The FBomb.org is a blog/community created by and for teen and college-aged individuals who care about their rights and want to be heard.
www.feministing.com is an online community run by and for young feminists. Offers feminist analysis of everything from pop culture to politics and inspiring young people to make real world feminist change, online and off.
UK Feminista
Feminist Teacher
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