In a recent interview with Glamour UK, actress Millie Bobby Brown shared her unconventional feminist awakening, sparked by a visit to a psychic. She recounted how the psychic informed her she was, in fact, a feminist, leading Brown to go home and google search the words, “How do I know if I’m a feminist?”
Predictably, the Stranger Things star’s perceived lack of self-awareness ignited a flurry of mockery and criticism from the media and internet users. “Facepalm” posted one user on X (formerly Twitter) and another commented, “Is that how we make life choices now?”
However, Brown’s recounting of her journey towards feminism provides an opportunity for us to examine our own relationship with this complex term. The actress undeniably subscribes to the ethos of feminism and advocacy for women’s rights - in the Glamour profile, she is described as the “product of a fierce matriarchy”. She also discusses her role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, where she “works to expand access to menstrual care and education for girls around the world”.
It may be amusing that Brown hadn’t labelled her views until her psychic encounter (but stranger things have happened). Still, the reality is that this scenario isn’t unique to Brown - many individuals resonate with the principles of gender equality but stop short of identifying as feminists.
The question arises: are we doing a disservice to the socio-political movement for gender equality if we refrain from labelling ourselves as feminists? Some believe that affirmatively identifying as a feminist helps to facilitate a collective culture where individuals can support one another.
And feminism is not a monolithic concept. In the present day, fourth-wave feminism has evolved beyond primarily supporting the rights of white, cis-gendered women, to embrace a more intersectional approach.
Yet despite this progress, some people are deterred by the term because of its polarising history, from negative connotations that feminists are angry, bitter man-haters to outdated stereotypes that feminists don’t wear makeup or shave their legs. Moreover, some people steer clear of the term because, historically, the feminist movement has not encompassed their personal experiences or beliefs.
Traditional feminism has often overlooked issues like systemic racism that impact women of colour, leading to the term “white feminism”. Here, white women seek to homogenise the female experience, focusing on issues primarily affecting them and marginalising non-white women as a result. It’s, therefore, no wonder that in the United States, it has been reported that many African-American women support gender equality but don’t identify as feminists.
Brown’s awakening brings to light the multifaceted nature of feminism. To mock or criticise the actress for her encounter with the psychic is missing the point. It’s a reminder that the path to identifying as a feminist is different for everyone, and at its core, to advocate for feminism is to do the work, whether through education, activism, or modelling equality in our daily lives.
