Feminists aren’t angry, men-hating, aggressive women. Want to learn what they really are? Feminism 101 is an introductory session on feminism — exploring everything from what the word even means to the role of spoken word poetry in the movement. Debunking those lofty myths starts here.
Why does the city need it? “A lot of people are talking about it. Some are against it, but most of them don’t even understand it. In this social media age, a lot of people who share their views and opinions sit on your friend list, it’s not always easy to see a different perspective. We want people to see feminism as equality between genders. It’s not women putting down men – that’s misandry! We hope more men show up at the event so we can open a dialogue,” says Janet Orlene, an experiential learning facilitator and the brain behind this gathering. Janet, who is also a spoken word poet, believes that she’s here to build bridges and break barriers with words, and that’s probably why it also aims to tell you how spoken word poetry is a powerful tool in the feminist movement. “That’s the beauty of it — you can change someone’s perspective by letting them explore emotions with you,” adds the founder of Inkweaver, a platform to explore poetry, prose and performance.
The session includes everything from the history of feminism to the concept of gender equality, its role in spoken word poetry, honing writing and performance skills.
Currently training to be an expressive art therapist, Brinda Rajpopat believes that such a gathering would open up the stage to expressive art forms. “I hope that at the end of it people are aware of the idea of feminism, are strong on their perspectives and could use it in their art. Plus there’s open mic to get you started!” she says.
What’s even better is that men are being invited to share dialogue. “While feminism is incredibly misunderstood as an all-female anti-male progression, having men involved in a movement like this gives all of us great support and empowerment for not just women but any borderline community in the city,” adds Rini Joseph, a social media manager.
