This supplement started out as a critical look at how far women have come. It was going to ask, considering it’s the year 2013, is feminism still even necessary?
But I noticed a pattern when the first drafts of the articles started coming in.
I realized they were all about questioning what a woman was, and what a woman was supposed to be. The stories examined the expectations society sets for women, and the expectations we set for ourselves—the ones that tell us we should be thin but curvy, ladylike but sexy, career-oriented but dedicated mothers, smart but not too smart; certainly not smarter than men.
The stories in this supplement challenge these assumptions. Some of them feature women testing the boundaries of what is considered appropriate “feminine” behaviour, and others are about women pushing back at these boundaries when they get in their way.
So that is where the theme, “De/constructing Feminism,” comes from. It means both taking apart what a woman is supposed to be, while simultaneously constructing new, diverse images and ideas about women.
I’ve thought a lot about what I want to achieve with this supplement. And the truth is, I don’t want to make some grand statement on feminism or offer a sweeping solution to any of the questions mentioned above.
What I want is for people, women and men, to ask questions. I want to inspire a dialogue that questions what it means to be a woman in today’s society, and if one singular meaning is even possible.
And I want people to question the boundaries and rules set for us—that govern the way we should dress, the way we should speak, the way we should act, what things we should like, and even in what fields we should work, and for how long.
Because that’s the thing about boundaries. Once you know where they are, they become easier to cross. So, happy crossing.
Vanessa Del Carpio, Women’s Supplement Coordinator
In the supplement, look for:
Everything means yes: consent in the media
