An IASH Work-in-Progress seminar, delivered by Jaspreet Kaur (Community Fellow, 2023-24).
Quiet Feminism – They Never Heard Us Coming
Is it true that much of mainstream feminism seems to be built on the assumption that its activism must be loud, fierce and visible? What about those whose feminism is quiet, silently working behind the scenes to make a change in their daily lives or in the lives of others? What about those who couldn't speak loudly due to safety, lack of access or just because it wasn't their approach to the fight? What about those who engaged more in quiet, small, (dis)organised and protracted forms of activism?
This sort of "quiet" solidarity illustrates how the Western vision of activism in democratic contexts does not always represent women's feminist movements worldwide, or many women within those democratic states. There are those that quietly advocate for themselves and their communities, day in and day out, in systems not designed to support them.
"Quiet Feminism" will analyse the diverse and complex ways that groups and individuals deploy their own forms of feminism to find economic, social, political and cultural power. From the outset of the feminist movement to the modern era, I'll be in search of these quieter voices to make sure no woman, man, or gender-non-conforming person is left as a footnote or, worse, forgotten entirely.
Join author, poet and educator, Jaspreet Kaur, as she discusses how her debut title, Brown Girl Like Me, led her into her next piece of research on the concept of quiet feminism. From African concepts of Ubuntu to the power of Pietist women in Egypt, this grounded approach to gender equality and feminist activism offers new insights into the many ways gender relations are understood and lived around the world, and how crucial the quiet feminist is in this ever-changing political landscape.
Please join in-person at IASH (2 Hope Park Square, EH8 9NW) or click the link below to join the seminar virtually:
https://ed-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/81857401179
Passcode: 6aSe7GF7