With the BBC celebrating their 100 inspirational and influential women this week, I decided to celebrate the pioneering work of two innovative, enterprising and impassioned Francis Holland girls looking to bring the feminist cause to the forefront of FHS life.
Intersection, the brainchild of FHS Sixth Form students Grace Stuart and Lily Leaver, is at its core a feminist society forged out of a profound desire to put into practise any and all passion and enthusiasm felt for feminist, political and current affairs issues. Run in tandem with another student-led initiative, Black Culture Club, Intersection aims to establish a in-school community that can be replicated elsewhere in other schools across the UK.
Taking inspiration from other leading ladies such as Alexandra Ocasio Cortez aka 'AOC', Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as well as Dorothy and Gloria Steinem, Intersection is a confluence of all social movements. As both Grace and Lily rightly pointed out, what is the point of championing women’s rights, if you’re not championing LGBTQ+ rights or supporting diversity of thought or Black Lives Matter? Intersection aims to provide an open and honest dialogue between different cultures, political groups etc. Indeed as Grace and Lily both said, ‘Intersection aims to foster more conversations, though sometimes uncomfortable, at home and in wider society.’
When I asked why they decided to call it Intersection, both Lily and Grace said that they wanted to create a space where all different types of people from all different walks of life are acknowledged. As Lily herself put it, ‘feminism has historically speaking been focused on white, middle-class women.’ Intersection aims address these gaps within the feminist movement itself, and shed a light on those feminists who have been denied the privilege of the limelight. Intersection, and other movements like it, truly seeks to embrace inclusivity over exclusivity. During the interview both Grace and Lily talked about the importance of opening doors for all women, from all different backgrounds - it is especially important that we divert our attention to those women who have been denied a voice because they have been marginalised, disenfranchised or simply forgotten about and left by the wayside. Our voices and thoughts and feelings and opinions are all equal, and should all be heard and amplified to the same extent.
One of the aims the co-founders of Intersection are trying to bing to the forefront of the feminist agenda, is that we should find greater comfort in our differences, rather than similarities. It is often said that variety is the spice of life, and for Intersection celebrating diversity not only provides feminsim with some flavour, but also underpins the movement entirely.
I note that it can often be the case that women are forced to compete with one another for attention, for promotions - for everything really. However, we shouldn’t be viewing other women as competitors to be beaten, we should all aim to lift each other up, because no woman is an island and as a collective force we are much stronger. After all, there is huge power in numbers.
For intersection this strength in numbers can be found through the use of social media. Whilst social media does pose some significant challenges, Intersection is all about championing and drawing empowerment from its online communities. Online feminist platforms such as The Guilty Feminist, Feminists Don’t Wear Pink & Other Lies, etc. have all played important roles in spreading the feminist message, and Intersection seeks to tap into this wealth of resources, knowledge and advocacy.
Certainly, utilising platforms such as social media - which have become ever more important during these socially distant Covid times - as positive feminists bases will play an ever more important role raising awareness and mobilising the feminist cause for not only our current generation, but future generations also. It is therefore our duty to contribute, interact and involve ourselves with online feminists and movements to allow the feminist cause to become ever more interconnected. The power of connecting with other feminists all across the world, from all different cultures and backgrounds will be what allows Intersection and the wider, global feminist movement to become truly formidable.
Intersection fundamentally just wants to enable open conversation in all aspects of life, and celebrate women worldwide. When I asked Lily and Grace to name their top four favourite feminists, they both finished their lists with wanting to pay homage to all the everyday feminist heroes going about their daily business and enacting the biggest changes in society. It is this approach that Intersection is seeking to emulate - a grassroots led initiative that doesn’t focus or rely on the actions of celebrities or companies to push the feminist agenda forward, but rather focuses on the achievements of everyday women who themselves constitute the beating heart of social change. Ultimately, I think this is what forms the very essence of Intersection: a celebration, collaboration and recognition of all different women, from all walks of life.
Going forwards, the future of Intersection looks bright. At the moment Intersection meets on a fortnightly basis to enage in disourse and debate pertinent feminist issues both past and present. Moreover, Intersection is looking to get involved in local, regional, national and international campaigns and work collaboratively with other groups and movements who also seek to enact the greatest change in society. Grace and Lily are also looking to launch their own website, set up a podcast, and overall bring Intersection to a more global audience on a wider platform.
FHS girls are truly making a statement with the launch of Intersection - as Oprah Winfrey said in her 2018 Golden Globes speech, ‘a new day is on the horizon’.
