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Papers by Stephanie Avery Claire Bourassa

Research paper thumbnail of Transnational Feminisms and Modular Protest: Radical Feminism on the Move

The human body, being a representation of humanity and lived experiences, can be a powerful and i... more The human body, being a representation of humanity and lived experiences, can be a powerful and important site of resistance. Its insertion into the contexts of revolution and social insurrection can elicit strong and often emotional reactions. The female body in particular, having been subject to various forms of oppression in virtually every historical and cultural context, has become a valuable site of resistance for many feminist and radical feminist groups. Movements like SlutWalk, FEMEN, and Free the Nipple have begun inserting the naked, female form in public space in order to draw attention to the unjust body politics that self-identified women face in contemporary society. In her article New Feminism as Personal Revolutions: Microrebellious Bodies, Salime states that: “When inserted into the paradoxical spaces of revolution, disruptive nudes and sexually scripted bodies create an immediate temporality in which women’s bodies and sexuality are not suspended as is usually the case but are remembered as part of the entangled sensibilities of the revolution and as part of its visual archive.” (p 15) The starting point of our analysis will be a consideration of the Moroccan SlutWalk organization Woman Choufouch (a play on words of a common catcall in Moroccan Arabic). Inspired by the Toronto mobilizations which began in April of 2011, Moroccan activists called for a similar protest, planned for August of that year. The Moroccan event did not take place due to threats and opposition as well as administrative troubles. In response to the logistical and safety challenges of mobilizing in public space, the group became a platform for digital feminism of the same brand. In light of these events, this paper will put into question the transnationality and universality of SlutWalk and similar movements, attempting to determine the factors limiting their transferability across different social, cultural and political contexts. It will discuss the theories relating to modularity of protest repertoires, taking into consideration what impact performances and expressions of identity may have on these theories. Offering a paradigmatic analysis of female-body-centric protests, it will posit them as Western inventions rooted in neoliberalism, considering tendencies of such movements to overlook intersectional oppression often excluding trans women, women of colour, sex workers and Muslim feminists.

Research paper thumbnail of Transnational Feminisms and Modular Protest: Radical Feminism on the Move

The human body, being a representation of humanity and lived experiences, can be a powerful and i... more The human body, being a representation of humanity and lived experiences, can be a powerful and important site of resistance. Its insertion into the contexts of revolution and social insurrection can elicit strong and often emotional reactions. The female body in particular, having been subject to various forms of oppression in virtually every historical and cultural context, has become a valuable site of resistance for many feminist and radical feminist groups. Movements like SlutWalk, FEMEN, and Free the Nipple have begun inserting the naked, female form in public space in order to draw attention to the unjust body politics that self-identified women face in contemporary society. In her article New Feminism as Personal Revolutions: Microrebellious Bodies, Salime states that: “When inserted into the paradoxical spaces of revolution, disruptive nudes and sexually scripted bodies create an immediate temporality in which women’s bodies and sexuality are not suspended as is usually the case but are remembered as part of the entangled sensibilities of the revolution and as part of its visual archive.” (p 15) The starting point of our analysis will be a consideration of the Moroccan SlutWalk organization Woman Choufouch (a play on words of a common catcall in Moroccan Arabic). Inspired by the Toronto mobilizations which began in April of 2011, Moroccan activists called for a similar protest, planned for August of that year. The Moroccan event did not take place due to threats and opposition as well as administrative troubles. In response to the logistical and safety challenges of mobilizing in public space, the group became a platform for digital feminism of the same brand. In light of these events, this paper will put into question the transnationality and universality of SlutWalk and similar movements, attempting to determine the factors limiting their transferability across different social, cultural and political contexts. It will discuss the theories relating to modularity of protest repertoires, taking into consideration what impact performances and expressions of identity may have on these theories. Offering a paradigmatic analysis of female-body-centric protests, it will posit them as Western inventions rooted in neoliberalism, considering tendencies of such movements to overlook intersectional oppression often excluding trans women, women of colour, sex workers and Muslim feminists.