The future is female… and we need to start listening to the young, female activists of today

We’ve all seen the impact young women and girls have had on social movements throughout history (hopefully the names Joan of Arc, Emmeline Pankhurst, Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis ring a bell). It seems that, when given the opportunity, women are incredibly skilled at organising and being heard. So why is it that society still struggles to take young, female campaigners seriously?

Young women have become an incredible force for many social justice or climate movements in recent years. From the #Metoo movement, to Friday’s for Future and fighting for gender equality, women have demonstrated their ability not only to lead, but also to speak publicly and present well researched and educated arguments. So many young women have sat alongside politicians, CEO’s and field experts – many of whom are men – and held their own. But despite this valiant effort, it seems we’re still struggling to take these women seriously. With the reaction that many of these young campaigners receive, I can’t help but think that we are living in a society that still refuses to accept female leadership. A society that, perhaps more importantly, refuses to listen to the voices of the future. Especially if those voices have a womb.

@thesketchish

Since mobilising 1.4 million young people in over 100 countries with Friday’s for Future, Greta Thunberg has been attacked and trolled online by people mocking her looks, leaking conspiracy theories about her or her family and even going as far as accusing her of having links to ISIS. What’s worse, however, is the backlash she has received form world leaders, CEOs and people in influential positions of power who seem to be so threatened by young, female activism. Both Donald Trump and Vlademir Putin have maliciously tweeted about Thunberg by referring to her (sarcastically) as a ‘happy little girl’ or a ‘poorly informed child’. Even the media have jumped on the bandwagon; one Fox News host referred to the activists, who suffers from Asperger’s, as being ‘mentally ill’ whilst Conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza compared Thunberg to Nazi propaganda.

And it’s not just Thunberg bearing the brunt of the bullying. March for our Lives’ founder Emma Gonzalez has been heavily criticised for her heritage and sexual orientation. The speech which she delivered at the March for Lives rally to commemorate the lives of 17 of her classmates was accused by the media of being ‘scripted’ and insincere. Malala Yousafzei was literally shot in the head for campaigning for girls’ educational rights in Pakistan. Even after recovery, after graduating from Oxford she still suffered racial discrimination and misogynistic attacks for her achievements.

Yes, young female voices are becoming an extremely viable political force, but what is it about these young women that is so threatening? It seems that every aspect of their lives; how they look, where they’re from and what they do is scrutinised by the media, politicians and internet trolls alike.

BuzzFeed News reported that young women, especially those at the forefront of social movements, are particularly harassed by society. They are spammed with degrading pornography, mocked for their looks and even sent death threats. Whilst there has always been heavy criticism and discontent for [male] politicians and activists, it seems that the hatred shown towards girls and young women is much more vindictive.

Grown men are literally mocking them because they stood up for something they believed in.

We know personal attacks have always been a tactic used by climate change deniers or political opponents, but the increase in social media and attention that these young girls receive have meant its much more palpable. This new type of weaponisation is fierce and it's targeting kids.

So why are so many global actors quick to bad mouth these young women? Could it be that they are a threat to the current patriarchal system? The psychology around bullying suggests that bullies attack when they are threatened by the unusual or unknown. The fear of not understanding or the rage that ignites out of jealousy usually catapults a bully into action. It’s easy, therefore, to conclude that these young women pose some sort of threat to those in power. Better still, they threaten patriarchy. 

If women can prove themselves as capable as men, then they become a threat to the world as we know it. 

We have already seen how women are harnessing more power in politics. Alexandria Ocasio-Cotez, Sanna Marin and Jacinda Ardern are young women breaking leadership records. They are showing us what the future could look like if it were female - and it isn’t the hysterical, baby-brained, husband-dependent image that societies of the past have painted. 

Today’s popular movements have been extremely successful at mobilising supporters across borders, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. If history has taught us anything, it’s that young women have an incredible impact on society when they find their voice and with thanks to social media and increased communications, today’s female activists are driving international campaigns like never before. If Joan of Arc was able to mobilise a city with nothing more than a belief, if the suffragettes were able to campaign with nothing more than the printing press, if Jane Addams could be awarded the Nobel Peace prize at a time when women’s work was not recognised, then the likes of Thunberg, Gonzalez and Yousafzei are certainly on course to shatter the glass ceiling of international leadership and politics.

The fact of the matter is, there is a distinct difference in the number of young female activists compared to young male activists. It seems to suggest that women are the population pushing for a better, more inclusive world. This does not mean to say that young men do not want this either, it just suggests that the women are the ones doing something about it. And this, of course, raises the question of leadership. If women are (as history repeatedly tells us) able to lead revolutions, unite across borders and mobilise campaigns, then why are we so reluctant to allow them their voice?