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Feminist researchers and commentators tell SBS News this is because feminism seems to have dipped out of the pop culture spotlight, with social commentators questioning whether rhetoric proffered by the likes of Beyoncé — who sang about waking up “flawless” at the VMAs — has achieved much for gender equality.
Beyoncé, one of the biggest pop stars in the world in the 2010s, made feminism part of her identity. Source: Getty / Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
While some argue the feminist movement is more relevant than ever amid attacks on women’s agency around the world, others point to research that shows young people and people of colour find it alienating or hard to connect with.
Based on a global average of 31 countries, 53 per cent of people agreed with this statement, up from 42 per cent in 2019.
When asked whether “things have gone far enough in my country regarding giving women equal rights with men,” 43 per cent of Australians agreed — 51 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women, according to an Ipsos survey. Source: SBS News
Dr Akane Kanai, a senior research fellow at Monash University who studies changing practices of gender and race through media, says this follows a historical pattern whereby a mass misogynist backlash follows a period of pro-feminist sentiment.
“But I think this very backlash shows that it’s really desperately needed.”
At least 60 per cent of gen Z men and 40 per cent of gen Z women believe that promoting women’s equality has gone so far that it is now discriminating against men, according to an Ipsos survey. Source: SBS News
Has feminism achieved its goals?
“I think following that, there’s still a kind of questioning of what to do with that because we’re recognising that these are systemic issues and have been going for so long that how do we actually move forward and create better spaces — spaces for everyone.”
Akane Kanai is a researcher studying young people’s views on feminism. Source: Supplied
The MeToo movement gained mass attention in 2017, creating awareness about sexual harassment and solidarity between victim-survivors. But in the intervening years, many feminists have recognised that, despite the gains of MeToo, assault and other gendered abuses of power remain just as prevalent as ever, and justice systems are ill-equipped to deal with such cases.
“That kind of feminism didn’t bring real investment from men. It lacked a lot of insight on material things,” Tu says.
What I want feminism to do is result in policy changes, close the gender pay gap, raise minimum wage and make sure that domestic caregivers are being paid — basic stuff like that.
Tu says feminism is more important than ever because “we haven’t solved any of those [material] issues”.
Australian author and critic Jessie Tu once said she would probably never read another book by a man, as she challenges the centring of the male experience in the literary world. Source: Instagram
“I hope that people will start talking about these things that are probably not sexy to talk about,” Tu says.
“There’s still people volunteering for domestic violence shelters and the women who are working in abortion shelters in America, women who are helping rehouse refugees in the Middle East, all these things.”
The issue of ‘white feminism’
She says feminism is in need of a “transformation” because white feminism has unfortunately become common and doesn’t serve to further advance all women.
Brenda Gaddi is the founder and executive director of non-profit Women of Colour Australia. Source: Supplied
“When we talk about sisterhood, I’m not talking about another woman and I going through the same experiences because that can never be — your experience is your experience, and my experience is uniquely and intrinsically mine,” Gaddi says.
She says the Black Lives Matter movement, which started in 2020, helped to raise Australians’ consciousness about issues of racism, but it came at the expense of Black American man George Floyd’s life.
We can talk about racism now — not that mature evolved level that I would want, but at least we can say it. We can verbalise it.
According to a 2024 WoCA survey of over 1,000 women of colour in Australia, two-thirds experienced discrimination in the workplace — an increase WoCA attributes to people being more empowered to identify discrimination.
Do young people care about feminism?
Among Australians surveyed, 46 per cent agreed with this statement, though the data wasn’t available by age or gender.
“I think lots feel alienated, some feel persecuted or threatened as if they have something to lose from the better and more equal treatment of women, which is silly, but that’s something that’s happening.”
Danny Cash is a student and writer on gen Z issues. Source: Supplied
Cash, who was born in 2005, points out that many people in his generation were very young during the third and fourth waves of feminism and instead have come of age during a time of feminist backlash.
“Donald Trump came into office when I was 11, and this is someone who, speaking objectively, has a pretty poor track record of saying horrible things about women,” he says.
We’ve been exposed to a culture which has been part of what’s enabling young men to get away with saying or thinking offensive things.
The 22-year-old says she wouldn’t use the label feminist, but understands that it’s useful for starting conversations about equality.
Tritian Young-Glasson is a cybernetics student and involved in work platforming women in STEM. Source: Supplied
“When I was a teenager, I found the word feminism so alien to me, it seemed like this big word. I felt that I could never do it justice in any conversation or in definition,” Young-Glasson says.
Young-Glasson says so many people her age “feel really disempowered” and that the social problems they have are insurmountable.
I think it’s really important, though, to understand that that’s not true.
