Feminist Lens Research Articles

The Portrayal of Black Women in the Works of Alice Walker

This research paper examines the significant contribution of Alice Walker to literature and her portrayal of Black women in challenging stereotypes and empowering narratives. Through a comprehensive analysis of Walker's works, including novels, short stories, essays, and poetry, this paper explores how she defies conventional expectations and celebrates the resilience and agency of Black women. The paper begins by providing an overview of Walker's significance in literature and the socio-political climate during her upbringing and early career. It then deals her early works, where she broke the Mold by portraying Black women as complex individuals with their own desires and agency. Key themes such as sisterhood, resilience, and self-discovery are analysed in novels like "The Color Purple" and "Possessing the Secret of Joy," showcasing Walker's ability to challenge stereotypes and uplift marginalized voices. The paper examines Walker's later works, where she continues to explore themes of heritage, spirituality, and community, offering nuanced representations of Black womanhood. Through an intersectional feminist lens, Walker addresses critiques of her work by acknowledging the diversity of Black women's experiences and identities. The conclusion affirms Walker's significant contribution to literature in challenging stereotypes and empowering Black women. It emphasizes the importance of continuing to explore and celebrate diverse representations of Black women in literature, recognizing the power of storytelling to inspire social change and empowerment.

Bringing rigor in contextual objectivity: lessons from applying feminist lens in scoping the evidence on girlhood studies in Indonesia.

This perspective paper contemplates the nuances of engaging with literature ethically in conducting a scoping review based on the researchers' project on girlhood studies in Indonesia. We assert that the ethical perspective extends beyond conventional primary data collection from human participants, further emphasizing the essence of a feminist methodology in this scholarly investigation. We discuss the interplay between the role of rigor and the dynamics of power relations in research, shedding light on reconciling between the pursuit of facts and acknowledgment of biases in knowledge production. This reflection offers insights into the methodological process and the researcher's role, contributing to the broader discourse on how research can effectively address issues of gender equity and social inclusion. Through this paper, we underscore the necessity of an intentional approach in unifying the domains of science and advocacy because only then can we truly catalyze transformative change. In doing so, we seek to foster a more comprehensive, objective, and empathetic understanding of the researched: in this case, the experiences of girls and young women -and, by extension, marginalized individuals in Indonesia and beyond.

Lições de Justiça Reprodutiva para catalisar estratégias de incidência durante a crise do Zika no Brasil

Abstract This article aims to revisit a constellation of responses to guarantee reproductive justice for women and girls during the Zika crisis in Brazil, that were conducted by Anis - Institute of Bioethics, a Brazilian feminist NGO. We argue that intersectional feminist lenses and gender-sensitive responses are necessary to build effective efforts for women and girls during a public health emergency. As such, we present three concomitant and intersectional learned tactics we used to fight for reproductive justice during the Zika crises, but also in its aftermath: 1. To build storytelling narratives that portray the disproportional effects of the crisis on women and girls; 2. To produce evidence-based data to catalyze advocacy strategies for legal and policy review; 3. To promote movement building opportunities and sharing power through community mobilization activities. We assume the importance of providing immediate evidence and gender sensitive framings to inform real-time public health responses. Advocacy efforts should not be seen as fragmented strategies, since ensuring reproductive justice demands a comprehensive and transformative framework that include solutions for multiple aspects of real-life experiences.

Feminist perspectives on housing financialisation: The case of the German social rental housing sector

This paper explores the financialisation of housing in Germany’s social rental housing sector, focusing on the lived experiences of tenants. Drawing on a relational feminist lens, the study examines how macro-level policy shifts, financialised management practices, and tenants’ lived experiences intersect to drive housing precarity. Through the case study of Vonovia, Germany’s largest financialised landlord, the paper illustrates how institutional investors maximise profits by upgrading properties, increasing rents, and displacing vulnerable tenants. The research, based on tenant interviews and document analysis, sheds light on the emotional and material impacts of housing financialisation and the growing disconnect between tenants and their homes. The findings reveal that the financialisation of social rental housing undermines social cohesion, disrupts everyday life, and deepens feelings of alienation and fragmentation

EXPLORATION OF SELF: A FEMINIST STUDY OF ALICE WALKER’S MERIDIAN

The present paper explores the profound themes of self-discovery and identity formation found in Alice Walker’s Meridian through a feminist lens. Walker skillfully blends the political and personal in this narrative, which follows the protagonist on her path to self-awareness and empowerment against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. The paper also emphasizes the heroine’s defiance of cultural and patriarchal norms by carefully examining the ways in which race, gender, and class intersect. This inspection of Meridian’s struggle with social expectations deepens our knowledge of feminist literature by highlighting the pivotal role that reflection plays in the fight for justice and equality. Using a feminist qualitative approach, the paper examines Alice Walker’s Meridian through textual analysis and theme investigation.

Influence of Western Culture on Pakistani Dramas: A Feminist Lens

Purpose: Cultures go through the process of evolution with time. This process is always influenced by certain factors. External factors significantly influence Pakistani society through TV dramas. It is important to examine the influence of Western culture on Pakistani dramas. This research explores the influence of Western culture with reference to women characters, in term of women’s right of education, marriage, community engagement, living, economic empowerment as well as their household obligations, social limitations and liberation, juxtaposed with traditional cultural norms. Since Feminist theory stands for the rights of women, drawing upon the Feminist theoretical framework, this study investigates how the portrayal of gender roles, identities, and power dynamics in Pakistani television dramas reflects the infiltration of Western cultural values. The aim of this research is to assess the extent to which Western influences in Pakistani dramas contribute to shifting societal attitudes towards gender equality and women's empowerment.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Feminist theory is used in this study. Survey research is employed for quantitative analysis method in this study to analyze the influence of Western trends on Pakistani dramas.
 Findings: The results revealed that Within the narratives of Pakistani dramas, male characters often dominate the spotlight with an emerging recognition among viewers: that female characters hold a significant thematic influence within the storyline, revealing a complex tension between societal expectations and evolving ideals of gender equality and agency.
 Implications/Originality/Value: This study highlights the convergence of tradition, modernity, and external influences in Pakistani dramas. As the industry continues to evolve, there emerges a pressing need for reflection and dialogue on the portrayal of gender roles in a manner that is not only equitable and inclusive but also reflective of the evolving dynamics of Pakistani society.

I Need to Pee! Gender Inequalities and (In-)Accessibility of Public Restrooms in London

When analysing how cities and public facilities – especially public bathrooms – are designed, gendered perspectives are often neglected. This paper investigates the eff ects of the inaccessibility of public bathrooms on women's lives in London. Informed by a feminist lens, the research shows that many public bathrooms are inaccessible and unsafe, making it women's priority to avoid bathrooms throughout the day. This has effects on women's health and their understanding of bodily sensations. This inaccessibility leads women to plan ahead, limiting their ability to be spontaneous within public spaces, and using 'just in case' visits to bathroom facilities before leaving a place to minimize the risk of having to look for one later in the day. (In-)accessibility of public bathrooms is a long-lasting issue which has been translated into the creation of a cross-generational, non-formal bathroom education between women of diff erent generations. Overall, tensions and difficulties arising from women's (in-)accessibility to decent bathroom facilities means that their basic human rights are often denied, and their everyday life signi ficantly aff ected. As a response to such intersectional inequalities, women develop adaptative strategies, fostering their resilience as they reclaim their urban and public life.

Low-carbon Energy Transition from the Lens of Feminist Theories

Climate change mitigation pledges require decarbonization of the economy and the creation of a carbon-neutral society. Men and women contribute differently to climate change and have different roles in low-carbon energy transition. Gender roles influence career choices, abilities to invest in low-carbon solutions, power of decision-making, dissimilar mobility and energy consumption demands, and different values and consumption profiles, shaping the individual carbon footprint and behavior. A feminist methodology in gender- just low-carbon energy transformation goes beyond the introduction of certain gender-equal redistribution measures and aims to deal with the core roots of the different unequal practices in all fields of society life. It seeks to rebalance prevailing power arrangements, centering the most marginalized individuals and groups. There are various frameworks developed for the analysis of linkages between climate change and women following the feminist theory, like gender impact assessment (GIA); gender equality training (GET) model, and so on. The paper applies the feminist theory approach to the analysis of low-carbon energy transitions. The main purpose of using a feminist lens in this study is to enable the discovery of how people interact within energy systems and to offer solutions to confront and eradicate oppressive structures for just low-carbon energy transition in the EU.

THE INTIMACY TRIPLE BIND: STRUCTURAL INEQUALITIES AND RELATIONAL LABOUR IN THE INFLUENCER INDUSTRY

The careers of social media content creators, or influencers, live or die by their ability to cultivate and maintain an invested audience-community. To this end, they are encouraged to practise relational labour (Baym, 2018) to build authentic self-brands and intimacy with audiences. Drawing on a longitudinal ethnographic study of the London influencer industry (2017-2023), this paper examines relational labour through an intersectional feminist lens, foregrounding the ways in which structural inequalities shape relationships between creators and their audiences. This research found that the tolls of managing audience relationships are higher for marginalised creators—especially those who make critical leftist and feminist content—who find themselves on an uneven playing field in the challenges they face as well as the coping strategies at their disposal. Creators employed four key tactics to navigate relational labour and boundaries with audiences: (1) leaning into making rather than being content; (2) (dis)engagement with anti-fans through silence and digital self-harm; (3) retreating into private community spaces, away from the exposure of public platforms; and (4) turning off public comments. Marginalised creators find themselves in an intimacy triple bind, already at higher risk of trolling and harassment, yet under increased pressure to perform relational labour, adversely opening them up to further harms in the form of weaponised intimacy. Findings highlight the individualisation of risk and harm as a structural norm in the influencer industry, raising serious questions about the lack of accountability and responsibility that platforms show towards the creators who generate profit for them.

Commodifying Gender: A MatFem Perspective on "I Am For Sale, Who Will Buy Me?"

This research investigates the commodification of women in Afghanistan through an in-depth analysis of the anonymous Afghani-authored short story, “I Am For Sale, Who Will Buy Me” (2010). Employing a Materialist Feminist lens and drawing upon Silvia Federici's theoretical framework in Caliban and the Witch (2004), the study examines the influence of religious doctrines on women's social and economic status, culminating in their marginalization. The analysis dissects the exploitation of gender roles, objectification of female bodies, and the commodification of Afghan women, revealing the intricate interplay between patriarchal systems, religious ideologies, and gender disparity. Additionally, the study explores historical and contemporary challenges faced by Afghan women, encompassing barriers to education, economic opportunities, and social integration. Emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive approaches, this research advocates transformative change and gender justice, stressing its urgency. Positioned within the broader discourse on women's struggles, this study aims to contribute an understanding of women’s oppression with a primary focus on fostering agency and societal transformation for Afghan women.

“That girl Briseïs” and Her Modern Representations

The main goal of this article is to conduct a comparative feminist analysis of three literary texts, which is focused on a single character depicted in them, Briseïs. The first of these texts is Homer’s The Iliad. Here, Briseïs is a slave of Achilles who, in Book 1, is abducted by Agamemnon, which becomes a charge of conflict between the two warriors. In the epic, Briseïs speaks only once, to mourn the fallen Patroclus. Her lament is the starting point for the interpretation of this character in two modern retellings of The Iliad. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes was published in 2019 and a year later was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction for retelling the classic through a feminist lens. Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles was published in 2011 and was awarded Orange Prize for Fiction. It focuses primarily on the deep bond – both romantic and erotic – between Achilles and Patroclus. Whereas Briseïs is not a protagonist in either text, both novels transform her into a nuanced individual with agency and a voice.

‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC

ABSTRACT The UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which bans all relationships between UN staff and locals, portrays all relationships as exploitative, fails to account for nuances in these relationships and does not acknowledge the agency of local women or communities. This study uses community-based qualitative data from eastern DRC that shares narratives on a wide variety of consensual relationships between peacekeepers and local women. Our paper uses a data-driven approach, including a post-colonial feminist lens, and ideas of structural agency to provide an expanded definition of agency that invites readers to re-examine their views of women in conflict settings. Finally, we provide clear recommendations for the UN and other international non-governmental agencies on policies related to sexual exploitation and abuse.

The First Step of the Project for the Interaction of an Open Data Platform with an Intersectional Feminist Lens

The Feminist HCI is characterized as the integration of feminist theory into HCI practice, which can occur at all stages of the design process, including user research, prototyping and evaluation. However, there is still a research gap on the integration of feminism with established HCI methods. An HCI methodology that is also concerned with human values and the possible consequences of technological artifacts is Value Sensitive Design (DSV). The present work seeks to answer how to include Feminism HCI in the HCI Project with the VSD. This research took place in the context of ELLAS Project, an Open Data platform that aims to contribute to the reduction of the gender difference in STEM in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.

Empowering and oppressive: the lived experiences and social politics of women golfers in regional Australia

This research provides an overview of the lived experiences of women golfers at regional Australian golf clubs, a cohort of sports participants who are often advantaged in their access to leisure time, but also often disadvantaged by the intersection of both (women) gender and (older) age. Specifically, this study provides a critical examination of the experiences of 53 women (purposively and snowball sampled) survey participants from 13 different golf clubs in regional Australia. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data received from the open-ended survey questions. This study explores the simultaneous shared lived experiences of these women golfers as they relate to both oppression and empowerment. These empowering experiences range from creating friendships, camaraderie and engaging in a variety of social interactions, while oppressive experiences relate to a range of structural and cultural barriers that women golfers face. These shared simultaneous experiences are explored using a third-wave feminist lens.

“Subjectivities, academic work and mothering practice”: Navigating obscure and unspoken disciplines

AbstractA robust and important body of scholarship is exploring the multiple and layered complexities of mothering and paid work. In this paper, we theoretically and empirically contribute to this work by exploring how, at the level of the self, women with children understand themselves in relation to their paid work and their mothering. We have examined this focus using a post‐structural feminist lens inspired by Foucauldian ideas related to the subject and technologies of the self. This perspective has focused our attention on the informal practices in an Australian university workplace, where we locate and problematize tensions between industrial and policy provisions designed to support mothers and mother's everyday workplace experiences. Our findings arise from focus groups, in‐depth interviews, and our personal narrative accounts and elucidate how despite well‐established policy supports, formal and informal workplace practices shape and discipline how mothers come to understand themselves and their paid work in the academy. We find that policy provisions for families in the workplace operate to conceal and legitimate gendered workplace practices, contributing to subjectivities formed through doubt, fear, shame, anxiety, isolation, and guilt. More productively, subjectivities were also born through agency, resistance, and revision, albeit wrapped by additional labor, personal, and professional costs.

Representation in Media Accessibility

This article is a theoretical essay discussing the potential for the analysis of media accessibility contents and practices (AD, SDH, Sign Language Interpreting, etc.) through a queer feminist lens, which makes it possible to tackle the representation of diversity and non-normativity. Based on a literature review of previous works on the intersection of Queer and Feminist Studies, and Media Accessibility and Disability Studies, it shows the need for this approach based on the nature of media accessibility services, which primarily cater for people with disabilities, a historically excluded minority actively involved in the claim for socio-cultural space and representation. It then proposes a method of work and analysis that combines queer and feminist translation strategies – a method, which is subsequently applied to commercial instances of audio description of diversity. The conclusions highlight the need to bring accessibility closer to contemporary concerns in research, i.e., gender, queer, feminist, and postcolonial issues. Some future lines of research are proposed, such as the expansion of this model of analysis to other accessibility services or the call for interlinguistic studies. Lay summary This article presents theoretical essay which describes the potential of the analysis of media accessibility, those services for the visually impaired and the Deaf, such as audio description, subtitling and Sign Language Interpreting, through a queer feminist lens able to tackle the representation of non-normative characters and narratives: racialised or queer individuals, for instance. Based on a literature review that gathers previous works on Queer and Feminist Studies, and Media Accessibility and Disability Studies, it shows the need for this approach based on the nature of media accessibility services, which target people with disabilities, a minority actively involved in the claim for socio-cultural representation. It then proposes a method of work and analysis that combines queer and feminist translation strategies, which is subsequently applied to real excerpts of audio description of series. The conclusions highlight the need to bring accessibility closer to contemporary concerns in research, i.e. gender, queer, feminist, and postcolonial issues. Some future lines of research are proposed, such as the expansion of this model of analysis to other accessibility services or the call for studies combining different languages.

Analyzing the Structure of Womens Image in Thelma and Louise Based on Feminist Theory

The best movies challenge viewers to think critically about gender roles and other social concerns in addition to providing entertainment. Scotts Thelma & Louise is a perfect example of such a groundbreaking film. This analysis takes a feminist critical perspective to consider the films groundbreaking function in addressing issues of gender inequality, female agency, and barrier-breaking. An examination of the film from a feminist perspective reveals its pervasive impact. The movie Thelma & Louise challenges stereotypical portrayals of women by showing them in a more complex and multifaceted light. By deviating from stereotypical depictions, we may have more meaningful talks about authenticity and womens wide range of experiences. Equally impressive is the films bold examination of gender dynamics. It highlights incidents of harassment, objectification, and contempt that women face and does not shy away from exposing the pervasive sexism and chauvinism that they face. This unrepentant viewpoint demands talks on the critical need for societal change. This study uses a feminist lens to examine the films impact on challenging gender norms, discussing the oppression of women, and fostering dialogues about womens agency and activism.

Aging Yet Independent Women in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford and Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield

In the Victorian England whose ideal woman was the Angel in the House, a devoted and submissive wife and mother, it would generally be unfortunate for women to be still unmarried past their reproductive years. Using feminist lens, this study compares the Jenkyns sisters (Deborah and Matty) of Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford (1853) and Betsy Trotwood of Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield (1850). While aging and single, they are financially independent. Husbandless and childless, the Jenkyns sisters and Betsey could easily fall into the category of redundant women, but they skillfully manage the house and class relations the way the Angels in the House do.

Analysis of Gender Differences in Sports — Taking American Professional Women’s Soccer as an Example

This article delves into the multifaceted realm of gender disparities in sports, focusing on the enduring challenges faced by female soccer players, notably within the United States. Highlighting the intertwined complexities of gender biases, treatment discrepancies, and resource inequalities, it underlines the pervasive gender gap prevalent in various facets of sports, encompassing pay differentials, sponsorship limitations, and unequal access to training facilities. This research aims to explore the multifaceted demand for equal pay in professional women’s soccer through sociological and feminist lenses. It scrutinizes implications not only for female soccer players but also for broader gender equality pursuits in global sports. This investigation endeavors to illuminate pathways toward achieving parity between male and female athletes, envisioning inclusivity and equity in the sporting world. The study concludes with a series of recommendations to achieve equal pay for women in sport, emphasizing the importance of transparency, sponsorship, recognition, media representation and advocacy in collective bargaining agreements and governance. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on gender equality in sport and provides insights into potential solutions to the pay gap.

Traditional gender roles and patriarchal values: Critical personal narratives of a woman from the Chaoshan region in China

AbstractThis study utilizes the personal critical narrative of myself, a woman from the Chaoshan region in China, as the primary data source to explore the impact of traditional gender roles and patriarchal values on women's personal growth transformation through a feminist lens. Integrating feminist and transformative learning theory, it encompasses my journey, including growing up with traditional patriarchal norms and thinking; being shaped by traditional gender bias without critical thinking; struggles from valuing males over females; and becoming a feminist‐informed and transformative adult education scholar. This study emphasizes the significance of integrating feminist and transformative learning theories into personal narratives and gender issues in adult education. Through dialogic connections, it may inspire self‐transformation in readers, potentially evolving into informed adult learners and feminist practitioners. This understanding can improve culturally sensitive adult education, fostering inclusivity, empowerment, and enhancing Western researchers’ comprehension of societal norms' influence on personal transformation in diverse contexts.