Tara Conley 12/7/18 Tara Conley 12/7/18

How To Read the Hashtag Feminism Archive (2013 - 2015)

Hashtag Feminism (#F) began in 2013 as a way to document and track feminist discourse, including emerging conversations and social movements online. This archive includes content from 2013-2015.

Hashtag Feminism is a digital platform that was born out of a fascination with Internet culture and social justice discourse. I launched the website on December 20, 2013, seven days after Beyonce dropped her first digital album, Beyonce, and four days after I published an online case study about Renisha McBride. I was in my third year of graduate school drafting ideas for my dissertation. I had time and creative juices to spare. All of these factors, including the demand for ‘collecting receipts’ on Twitter influenced the form and function of Hashtag Feminism. Over the next several months, I worked with feminist writers who I met on Twitter, to build an online platform that reflected the culture and politics of the so-called hashtag activism era. In 2015, about a year into my dissertation, I realized I spent more money and time than I could afford trying to maintain the site while also paying writers. The website was being hacked around the time of GamerGate and targeted harassment of feminist media online. It was also around this time that I lost content on the site. A Columbia professor and his students hosted a #Feminism hack-a-thon to try to help retrieve some of the content, but ultimately, the Hashtag Feminism I started in 2013 was gone.

Fast forward five years. I’m now an Assistant Professor dedicated to continue the work of documenting Internet culture and social justice discourse; this includes archiving Hashtag Feminism. I spent several weeks scouring old emails, Google Docs, and The Internet Archives’ Way Back Machine to piece together the Hashtag Feminism Archive. This archive is for anyone who, like me is fascinated by Internet culture and cares deeply about social justice issues. It’s especially for all of the contributing writers who dedicated their time to help grow Hashtag Feminism. This archive is also for Hashtag Feminism followers that stuck around even when the Twitter account laid dormant for months.

Before you dig in the archive, please note:

Not all posts were able to be archived via the Internet Archives’ Way Back Machine.
Not all links in the posts are active. Most links will redirect to The Way Back Machine’s snapshot of the linked website.
To read Hashtag Feminism archived posts, scroll all the way down to the Archive section below, and click on the title of the post.
Share the Hashtag Archive on social media using #FemArchive.
For inquiries about this project, visit the contact form.

When you’re done reading through the archive, visit the new Hashtag Feminism. Enjoy this piece of Internet history!

- Tara L. Conley, Founding Publisher and Editor of Hashtag Feminism.

By The Numbers

Hashtag Feminism Contributing Writers and Editors

Kelly Ehrenreich, Hashtag Feminism’s editor and first lead writer.
Aisha Springer, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Gretchen Edwards-Bodmer, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Shannon Miller, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Ijeoma Oluo, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Lynx, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Jasmine Crenshaw, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.
Kerri Lyn, Hashtag Feminism contributing writer.

Hashtag Feminism In The News

Read: Behold the Power of #Hashtag Feminism (TIME).

Read: The 12 Most Powerful Feminist Hashtags of 2014 (Mic).

Read: The Feministing Five: Tara L. Conley (Feministing).

Read: Interview with Tara L. Conley, founder of 'Hashtag Feminism' (Metro News).

Read: 21 Hashtags That Changed The Way We Talk About Feminism (Huff Post).

Read: Making a hashtag of things: is online activism much use? (The National).

#Hacked…but back!

This post originally appeared on May 29, 2016 written by Founder, Tara L. Conley, after Hashtag Feminism was hacked. This would be one of the last posts on #F before the original site shut down.

Over the past few weeks, Hashtag Feminism has been experiencing random hacks. This isn’t the first time we’ve been #hacked. Nonetheless, we’re back (actually we never left). We are currently in archive mode because, as you know, it takes a village to raise a multimedia web platform–(and because I need to finish writing my dissertation). We’re proud to be one of the only resources online since 2013 where people can find past and relevant hashtags that have generated some of the most inspiring moments in recent feminist history.

As always, you can continue to support #F here (all proceeds go to contributors and operations to keep the website hacker-free).

You can read more about #F here.

And, as always, always, always you can find us on Twitter curating the best of #Feminism.

Thank you again for your support.

Oh, and to the hackers out there, don’t get it twisted,#F isn’t going anywhere because this is our s*it.

-Tara L. Conley (Founder).

Tara Conley 6/24/15 Tara Conley 6/24/15

#BaltimoreUprising

This post originally appeared on June 24, 2015 written by Aisha Springer.

Editor’s Note: #F contributor Aisha Springer lives and works in Baltimore; below she writes about her experience of life in Baltimore during and since the Uprising. Also see the curation here of the evolution of hashtags used to organize the movement in Baltimore.

Since the cameras have left Baltimore, the national media has instead focused on other parts of the country dealing with racial tension and tragedy – unfortunately, there have been too many just in the past two months from McKinney, Texas to the massacre in Charleston, South Carolina. While we mourn and process the death of the Charleston 9, we continue to see the interconnections of racism, police brutality, and aggression against black lives in different forms throughout the country.

Since the Baltimore uprising, the mood in the city has been tense, apprehensive, expectant, and hopeful all at once. The grassroots are trying to capitalize on the surge of passion and increased attention around the social problems they have long been fighting against. And there was a surge of passion. Big Brothers Big Sisters reported a 3,000% increase in mentorship inquiries within 36 hours. There has been a slew of town halls, panel discussions, and planning meetings to determine next steps for reform. Though the passion has died down to a degree, those who may have previously been (or still are) apathetic residents living in gentrified bubbles have been forced to confront the reality of the city they’ve adopted as their own. In order to sustain increased passion and awareness, it’s important to make sure the issues raised aren’t erased from public discourse. We must all remember what can happen when police brutality, poverty, inadequate public education, lack of fair housing, insufficient job opportunity, and the underlying structural racism is allowed to continue.

On Saturday, April 25 I met friends and co-workers at a rally to support justice for Freddie Gray and police reform. Peaceful protests had been taking place for days, but only after the events of the following Monday night would the country take notice. We met in front of the Western District police station, not far from Gilmor Homes where bystanders had taken cell phone video of 25-year-old Freddie Gray’s arrest on April 12. That encounter led to his spine being 80 percent severed, his larynx crushed, and the public demanding answers and accountability from the Baltimore Police Department.

Around 3:00 pm, we began marching from the police station in Sandtown-Winchester towards City Hall in downtown Baltimore. Men, women, and children marched together carrying posters and shouting chants that protesters now know by heart: “No justice, no peace;” “All night, all day, we will march for Freddie Gray;” “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” When we passed through intersections, blocking traffic, drivers honked and held up their fists in support.

Protesters shared the experience with the hashtags #FreddieGray, #JusticeforFreddieGray,#Baltimore, and #BlackLivesMatter.

However, these were not the images that dominated the media. Saturday evening, a relatively small group of people smashed police and civilian cars and destroyed property, and peaceful protesters clashed with baseball fans outside Camden Yards.

On Monday April 27, rumors circulated of a 3:00 p.m. “purge” at Mondawmin Mall led by high school students. BPD also released a “credible threat” that members of the Bloods, Crips, and BGF gangs would unite to kill police officers- stories that the majority of media outlets ran with without bothering to investigate further. (Watch video of gang members’ response to the rumor.) As a result, many schools, businesses, and government agencies closed early.

Before students were released from school, police shut down buses and the subway system near Mondawmin Mall, a public transportation hub that many students use to get home. Children left school only to be met by officers in riot gear and armored tanks. Those who had never planned to be part of any “purge” were left with no way to escape the situation. According to eyewitnesses, police in riot gear marched towards groups of kids to disperse them, though many had no way to leave the area. Then a few kids threw rocks at the approaching officers. This is the point in the story where the mainstream media would have you think the problem began. The situation escalated from there and spread to other parts of the city, setting off a night of riots resulting in 15 structure fires, 144 vehicle fires, and 200 arrests.

That night, I was at home after a day of peaceful protest. It was surreal to watch the very same streets I had marched through become battle zones in front of the nation’s eyes, knowing many people watching would never know or care to understand the full story of what was happening and why. Visceral reactions to destruction of property outweighed any sadness or anger over the taking of multiple lives by police, which was the reason for the destruction in the first place. While it’s valid to be upset over the destruction of businesses, the prioritization of property over lives speaks to the dehumanization of poor black and brown people that is at the root of this country’s worst social problems.

It was extremely frustrating to witness the way the media portrayed events when I had just seen a very different picture. The narrative on mainstream media was predictably different from what was being reported by on-the-ground activists, journalists and witnesses. It says a lot about the state of media and journalism today that I received a fuller perspective of what was occurring from a select group of Twitter users than from CNN or even some local news stations.

In light of this one-sided account, activists sought to shift the media narrative and reclaim Baltimore’s story. The hashtag #BaltimoreRiots was replaced by #BaltimoreUprising. “Uprising” acknowledges the decades-long history of state violence and inequality of which residents of Baltimore neighborhoods like Gray’s have grown weary, while riots focus on the brief, yet destructive actions of a few, with no context or thoughtful examination. As President Obama said, this is a “slow-rolling crisis…this is not new.” Freddie Gray’s death followed by provocation, rather than answers, from authorities were just the catalysts that tipped Baltimore over the edge.

Protests have been peaceful before and since the unrest on April 27. Though it was difficult to watch Baltimore reach this point, it was inevitable given the reality for so many in Baltimore and in no way worse than the constant violence inflicted on poor black communities. National and international attention turned to the struggle of impoverished city residents and the police brutality epidemic that community members have been working to end. On May 1, Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that the six officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death have received criminal charges, but activists are not placated. Charges do not ensure convictions and neither ensure systemic reform. This is just a first step. Fallout from these events and the same long-term challenges remain.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake finally ended the 10:00 p.m. city-wide curfew on May 3 after appeals from activists, community members, business owners, and civil/human rights organizations such as the ACLU and Amnesty International. Complaints of unequal enforcement, lack of necessity, adverse impact on businesses and vulnerable populations, and the denial of due process rights for those arrested were among the arguments for its end. Twitter campaigns run under the hashtags #EndTheCurfew and #BreaktheCurfew worked in tandem with continued protests and advocacy work.

Now that the dramatic footage of fires and looting has run out and the National Guard and police no longer line the streets, national media outlets have left the city to pursue other stories. Here in Baltimore, community members hope some good will come from this experience by creating a sustained focus on improving the lives of the city’s poor and marginalized people. Marches and rallies continue, as well as advocacy work, planning meetings, and town halls to determine next steps.

As a Baltimore resident involved in social justice work, I am aware of the challenges that stem from institutional racism and marginalization of the poor, leading to justified feelings of anger and powerlessness. But what stood out the most for me during the weeks after Freddie Gray’s death was the incredible strength of the Baltimore community. That includes the people who show up each day for marches, community leaders who provided lunches to students when schools were closed, residents who cleaned up the streets after Monday night’s destruction, and others who continue to contribute their time and skills in any way they can. #BMoreUnited encompasses this spirit; we are now even more united in this longstanding struggle and are committed to seeing it through together. This is not only a time to amplify our voices for justice, it is also a time to show love to our Baltimore neighbors. In an environment where poor black and brown lives are devalued, ignored, and taken with ease, the act of showing love and genuine concern is in itself a revolutionary and transformational act.

Tara Conley 6/24/15 Tara Conley 6/24/15

From #BaltimoreRiots to #BaltimoreUprising

This post originally appeared on June 24, 2015 written by Jasmine Crenshaw. This was Jasmine’s first post for Hashtag Feminism. It was written two months after Freddie Gray’s death, which led to Baltimore protests against police brutality.

We are taking a look at the evolution of the hashtags surrounding Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray on April 12, 2015. What began with #FreddieGray led to #BaltimoreRiots, then #BaltimoreUprising and #BlackSpring, #BreakTheCurfew and #BaltimoreLunch. These hashtags connected protesters, showed the selective enforcement of the #BaltimoreCurfew, helped to organize lunches for students when school was cancelled, and likely contributed to the swift indictment of the six officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death and the Justice Department’s investigation into the Baltimore Police Department.

#BaltimoreUprising captures the essence of what has been taking place in Baltimore: a community attempting to take back its ownership and speaking truth to power.

#BaltimoreUprising, a true feminist tag, challenges the status quo and demands justice. It demands an end to police brutality and creates a unified voice for citizens of West Baltimore. It challenges the normalized media narratives about Black communities under distress. In real time, citizens have been able to use the hashtag to document what is occurring not only during the protest, but general life in a city that has been long neglected.

Follow along with us to see the evolution and the uprising:

White folks tend to view their riots as "Revolutions" but consider black folks rioting as criminal acts. #WhitePeopleRiotToo #BaltimoreRiots
— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) April 27, 2015
The baltimore issues……. #BaltimoreCurfew pic.twitter.com/MYzKi0VTyP
— Nighthawk (@chuka_uzo) April 29, 2015

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called for a 10:00 PM-5:00 AM curfew and Baltimore City schools closed on Tuesday, April 28. The Baltimore Public City School District reported that 84 percent of its students rely on meals from schools to make it through the day. Operation Help or Hush, an organization that originated out of the #Ferguson movement, set up the #BaltimoreLunch hashtag to help Baltimore students get the meals they needed.

The #BaltimoreLunch hashtag has your answers for #freebreakfast and #freelunch all around the city. Please check the hashtag!
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) April 28, 2015
85,000 kids not in school today, 84% of which rely on free lunches. Help @ophelporhushprovide #BaltimoreLunch today http://t.co/lOv66gUoFJ
— Carolyn Williams (@carolyn_will) April 28, 2015

Social media users, including Deray McKesson, who traveled from #Ferguson to his hometown of Baltimore to protest, found using the hashtag #BaltimoreRiots unrepresentative of the positive movement to organize a community and call for justice. #BaltimoreUprising gained traction due to this community wanting to control their own narrative of the events that have occurred after Freddie Gray’s death. Protesters in other states held rallies to stand in solidarity with Baltimore and organized under the #BaltimoreUprising and #BlackLivesMatter tags.

By Friday, May 1, the protests continued and Baltimore City’s State Attorney Marilyn Mosby brought charges to all six officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray. This finally looked like a small victory, though protesters and those following along on Twitter recognized this was the only beginning.

The state of emergency and the curfew were both lifted after tweets under the #BaltimoreUprising and #BreaktheCurfew tags showed the disparity of enforcement between white and black citizens of Baltimore. A video of a police officer asking white protesters to leave the protest area peacefully made the media rounds, as did a photo a black protester who was pepper sprayed, forced to the ground, and arrested after ignoring the curfew. White privilege was on full display in Baltimore: white protesters and citizens were left alone while black citizens and protesters were heavily monitored and policed.

THE CURFEW HAS BEEN LIFTED!! #BaltimoreUprising #BlackLivesMatter #BaltimoreCurfew https://t.co/Krene0uqG0
— #NotInMyName (@femforchange) May 3, 2015
The curfew ended. Protest works. #BaltimoreUprising
— Brienne of Snarth (@femme_esq) May 3, 2015

Following the protests and a week of national media attention, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced a Department of Justice investigation of the Baltimore Police Department for possible misdeeds and troubles that has plagued their serving population. People also used #BaltimoreUprising and #BlackSpring to praise AG Lynch for designating black lives as a viable priority for her office, rather than leverage for political gains or public popularity.

From Freddie Gray’s death to the launch of the DOJ investigation of the BPD, three prominent black women, Mayor Rawlings-Blake, State Attorney Mosby, and Attorney General Lynch, have emerged as the political faces of progress for Baltimore; examining and repairing the relationship between the police and citizens of Baltimore; and the search for #JusticeforFreddieGray. Though Mayor Rawlings-Blake faced many critiques on social media due to her actions in both initiating the curfew and calling her constituents “thugs” on national television, she was able to respond to protests and social media calls, ended the curfew and called for the civil rights investigation.

These hashtags have allowed us to track not only what is happening on the ground in Baltimore, but how elected and appointed officials are responding in real time. We have a record now of what Loretta Lynch stood for just days after being confirmed as the first Black female Attorney General of the United States. The same is true of the youngest State Attorney in the entire country, Marilyn Mosby. We are seeing capable and brilliant black women in political and legislative power like never before, and this could equal as positive representation for black women and girls who could see themselves in Lynch’s, Rawlings-Blake’s, and Mosby’s positions one day.

When we look back on #BaltimoreUprising, we will not just see a community fighting for justice, but of black women in positions of legal and political power being held accountable and holding others accountable for the positive change being demanded on the streets and echoing through hundreds of thousands of tweets.

Tara Conley 6/17/15 Tara Conley 6/17/15

#LikeAGirl and Empowertising Campaigns

This post originally appeared on June 17, 2015 written by Kerri Lyn. This was Kerri’s first post for Hashtag Feminism.

There’s a new trend of empowerment-focused advertising that’s challenging sexist stereotypes, sparking conversations, and igniting social media participation. Andi Zeisler calls it “empower-tising.”

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was launched in 2002 “to celebrate the natural physical differences personified by all women and to encourage them to have the confidence to be comfortable and happy with themselves.” Nancy Etcoff, a Harvard psychologist, who evaluated the campaign then and now “found that more women today describe beauty on a wider variety of qualities outside of just looks, such as confidence.” Dove’s parent company Unilever sends a different message, being one of the biggest sellers of skin-whitening cosmetics. The ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ video, released in April 2013, attracted strong reactions from the public and media. The video shows women being their own harshest critics, while holding up beauty as the standard to achieve. Some felt the video “enforced our very narrow cultural perception of beauty: young, light-skinned, thin” and criticized the lack of diversity “in race, age, or body shape.”

#LikeAGirl Facts and Figures

Always released their #LikeAGirl campaign in June 2014 and it went viral after airing during this year’s Super Bowl -the first time a feminine care ad was shown during football’s biggest event. The ad questioned why throwing, running, and fighting “like a girl” is used to denigrate women. Ann Friedman wrote in New York Magazine that “the #LikeAGirl commercial was such an emotional call to consider the implications of casual sexism that we forgot Always was selling us maxi pads.” According to Proctor and Gamble, the video has been viewed more than 85 million times in 150 countries and shared by more than 1.5 million people around the world. In a survey of 1800 people, after watching the video, girls 16 to 24 demonstrated a 57% increase in positive association with the phrase “like a girl”, and 2 out of 3 men said they would stop or think twice about using the phrase as an insult. Andi Zeisler wondered if “the people who buy what Always and the others are selling can also get on board with the more complex heart of the movement — the place where true equality is almost never an easy sell.”

Twitter reaction was predominately one of enthusiastic embrace.

Although not everyone felt positively about it or seemed to get the message:

“@samdek1: Packers are best team in the league. Better than both teams. And I'm confident on that statement. :(” quit crying #LikeAGirl
— Bailey Scheich (@b_scheich) February 2, 2015

Chevrolet followed the lead of the Always’ campaign, celebrating Mo’ne Davis, the 13-year-old pitcher who made headlines and history as the first girl to pitch a shut-out inning in the Little League World Series. She proudly proclaimed she throws #LikeAGirl.

#OneBeautifulThought

Other vendors, seeing that women everywhere have been interacting through social media and adding their own hashtags to shape the conversation, have been eager to recreate the success of#LikeAGirl. Dove’s “Choose Beautiful” commercial was released in March of this year, encouraging social media discussion with the #OneBeautifulThought hashtag. In this ad, women are confronted by their self-criticism when they overhear condemning thoughts they’d journaled being spoken aloud. The women discover that hateful speech is more easily recognized when directed at others. It ends by encouraging women to have one beautiful thought about themselves.

Some perceived this as yet another attack on women, this time for being self-critical. Jessica Valenti wrote in The Guardian that “beauty companies now want women to feel insecure about our insecurities.” Other reactions were more positive.

#ShineStrong

Pantene’s “Sorry- Not Sorry” ad was a bit more controversial. It asks a valid question (why are women always apologizing?) and promotes taking up space without guilt, using the #ShineStronghashtag. Its message is on-point; even when they feel confident and self-assured, many women still find themselves succumbing to internalized oppression and patriarchal norms by saying they’re sorry. Pantene is part of the beauty industry, where messages to women are typically about not being good enough or pretty enough, so embracing women’s right to be who they are without apology is a new and welcome change.

so there's this Pantene commercial about women saying sorry and idk it makes me emotional bc feminism
— lauren (@hellaskeleton) July 15, 2014

Valenti was again skeptical that “giving women one-liners and happy endings (and shiny hair) will not solve the problem of workplace gender roles, body image or domestic inequality – that requires a fundamental shift in how we talk and think about women’s roles in society. But maybe I will take a cue from Pantene, after all, and “shine strong” by saying that I think their ad is garbage. And I’m not remotely sorry.”

Dodge Ram, whose ads are the usually male-centric, has even joined the fray. This ad breaks new ground in that it doesn’t include a single man. The Ram ad specifically mentions breaking stereotypes and finding the courage inside. In this commercial, women are the only people shown, yet the message could apply to anyone. Since women are typically the invisible, included-but-not-mentioned part of “mankind,” it’s refreshing to see the opposite. Female representation is advancing, a requirement for all marginalized groups before acquiring equal rights. In the Ram commercial, women are the new symbol for humanity.

Dodge Ram celebrates women for being strong to the core – "Because the courage is already inside" http://t.co/Y38J0hoELH

— Esteban Contreras (@socialnerdia) April 28, 2015

i love it that brands are now recognizing women in male-dominated fields! Ram Trucks | Courage Is Already Inside https://t.co/zUCCELIubV
— erin harbaugh (@eharbaugh) May 5, 2015

Do these ads have enough diversity? No, not yet. There are a few Black or Asian women in the Always, Pantene, and Dove ads, but the vast majority are white women. There are no plus-sized or disabled women in the Ram ad – apparently only athletes drive trucks.

#ImNoAngel

Lane Bryant launched their #ImNoAngel campaign in response to backlash about the “perfect body” represented by Victoria’s Secret Angels. The #ImNoAngel hashtag generated over 7,000 tweets in the last 30 days alone. Many argued that thin bodies should not be pitted against the plus-sized. Amanda Kate Richards, a body-positive social media blogger, created a social media campaign by adding #ImNoModelEither to the #ImNoAngel debate, calling it “a self-directed call for more body diversity in fashion and advertising.”

Body-positive activists are uniting to combat the fashion industry’s ideas of what defines a “plus” size. Just in the last year, Tess Holliday created #EffYourBeautyStandards and Ajay Rochester created#DropThePlus, which have both gained traction in social media. Holliday became the first size 22 model by MiLK Management and just landed on the cover of People magazine.

Not everyone feels enough progress has been made. Jes Baker, a body advocate and self-love enthusiast, felt the #ImNoAngel campaign was not diverse enough, so she launched the#EmpowerAllBodies photo series. Baker posted an open letter to Lane Bryant’s CEO, criticizing the ad’s presentation of “the ‘ideal’ plus body: hourglass, perceivably ‘healthy’, cellulite-free, able bodied, cis-gender, and ‘conventionally’ beautiful.” In Baker’s series, inclusion is key – we see disabled and tattooed women proudly showing their bellies and cellulite. In her letter, Baker argues “when we, as a society, fail to include diverse bodies in our media, the message becomes clear to those excluded: you are unworthy of taking up space.” The #EmpowerAllBodies hashtag has been gaining momentum, with over 900 tweets in the last month. Reaction to the #EmpowerAllBodies campaign has been almost overwhelmingly positive.

There were still a few people who felt it was not diverse enough because the photo series did not include thin women.

Challenges to traditional beauty are not new. A year ago the “What’s UnderNeath Project” highlighted the attractiveness of atypical models. And eleven women in particular are redefining beauty standards for the advertising industry.

In accounting firm KPMG’s TV ad, golf pro Stacy Lewis literally shatters a glass ceiling. Hopefully this trend continues and more companies begin to agree with KPMG Global chairman John Veihmeyer, who said their goal is to “sustain and continue to build a solid culture of inclusion.”

What’s your take on #Empowertising? Do you agree with Ann Friedman that “modern feminist-tinged advertising…is high in calories but low in nutritive value, to put it in Super Bowl snack terms”? Or is Laura Jordan Bambach right in her assessment that “ads such as Always’ ‘#LikeAGirl’ must be applauded”? If the message is empowering to girls and women, does it matter that corporations are using feminism to sell a product? Laura Jordan Bambach, co-founder of SheSays, summarizes: “is #LikeAGirl a great piece of work? In my opinion, yes. Am I cynical about the fact it comes from P&G? You know, I just don’t give a shit.”

Personally I concur with SheSays: “the fact that advertisers have finally recognized that feminism is here to stay is a very good thing indeed.” Yes, the slow pace of attitudinal change can be very frustrating. But in my opinion these ads are progressive steps in the right direction. Share your thoughts on the new trend using the #Empowertising hashtag!