In June 2020, I took advantage of that short period out of lockdown to set up an event in the Edinburgh Gardens. I wanted to hear people’s stories and experiences with feminism during self-isolation. I was curious to see how people managed to live according to their feminist values. How was it challenged?
In my structure, I sat in for 4 hours and interacted with whoever came up to me. Children, curious and more adventurous, walked up to me without any hesitation. Parents followed. I handed out clipboards, paper and pencils and asked for drawings, or anything in writing that would describe one’s experience with feminism. There were some great dialogues that happened on that day. The variety of responses was amazing. As mostly women and children approached me, it appeared that maybe the word ‘feminism’ written on my poster could have deterred potential participants. When I saw two men walking by and hesitating to stop, I invited them to participate. One man responded: “Oh, I thought feminism was only for women!” To which I replied: “Feminism is for everyone!” They walked away.
As this event was a first of this kind, I intend to explore other parts of Melbourne to compare people’s experiences with feminism during a pandemic.
Photos by Lucy Foster