Saturday 21 July 2012

Many thanks to Alison Hall of Plymouth Enterprising Women for allowing me to present at the PEW event yesterday as part of Outsets Business Collaboration day.  The presentation entitled Women Speaking Up was encouraging women to share their voice, especially in places where it will make a difference eg decision making both in the private and public sphere.  I touched on ideas that would be called feminist and this was welcome from most women in the group - although one women found this a turn off and uped and left!  I'm really sorry she didn't feel able to stay and raise her concerns within our discussion.  Ultimately I was echoing the sentiments of the Miss Representation Film trailer directed by Jennifer Sibel Newsom encouraing women to look out for and support each other; that's my brand of feminism and so far has won me some very good friends. How has feminism become so misunderstood that women react so strongly?  Are the ideas still just too challenging for comfort?