Slutwalk ― Feminism, Activism and Media

SlutWalk is a study of the global anti-rape movement of the same name, in eight nations which organized marches: Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and US. It demonstrates the mainstream news' unprecedented support for SlutWalk, suggesting that we may be finally moving away from an era in which feminism is seen as dead, redundant or passe. Yet despite this overwhelming support, mainstream coverage was often shallow, particularly when compared to the feminist blogosphere, which provided sophisticated and nuanced analyses of sexual assault and rape culture. The feminist blogosphere was also a key site for critiquing patriarchal rape myths, and providing 'counter-memories' of the movement. This book examines representations of the movement in mainstream news and feminist blogs, and documents the experiences, routines and strategies of 22 organizers who were involved in the movement between 2011 and 2014. In doing so, it presents a robust and original analysis of modern feminist activism from various angles, and is a must-read for anyone interested in modern feminist protest and campaigns.

Kaitlynn Mendes, Ph.D., is Lecturer in Media and Communication at the University of Leicester, UK. Her research examines representations of feminism and feminist activism in news, feminist blogs, and social media. She is author of Feminism in the News (2011), and Feminist Erasures (eds. with Kumarini Silva, 2015).