Week 15: Post-Feminism Movement, Consent and Exploitation

Any student at Rollins College is familiar with the post feminist radical movement and its supporters, especially with the "end the cat call" campaign launched this (Spring 2015) semester. Over the past 3 years as both a student at this institution and a resident of the relatively liberal downtown Winter Park area, I have noticed two distinct reactions to the prominence of this movement on campus- a strong desire to join and demand equality for women on all levels, or what seemingly is an even more powerful (see: Rollins Confessions) opposition, most likely based out of irritation due to the assertiveness of the prominent student leaders that care deeply about this issue.

Whether or not we realize it, most people in our generation are a part of this feminist movement. How so? Gournelos puts it best in our text for this blogpost- Jenna Marbles and other viral Youtube figures that "engage in gender politics" and, on some level, force us to think of our society's constructions of women.

Day's 2010 article, The re-emergence of 'trafficking': Sex work between slavery and freedom, claims that sex work is considered a "less legitimate occupation today" than it was in the 80's or 90's (816). As our text states, this type of post feminist movement basically backpedals on the framework that was laid in just the decades before.

As the post feminist movement progresses, we, as a society, will continue to explore the differing viewpoints pertaining to if a woman can "choose their path though sexuality" (245). Relating this post back to my project, it is important to note that most human trafficking scholars would argue there is a difference between consensual prostitution and human trafficking- the word consensual makes all of the difference. However, there is the somewhat prominent belief that prostitution is never consensual, most likely inspired by religious beliefs and congruent political agendas. This threatens the feminist belief that woman can do what they wish with their bodies and serves as a dig to a sex worker's dignity and autonomy.

In the law enforcement world, as prostitution is on the books as a crime, leads to the arrest of victims as perpetrators (prostitutes), furthering feelings of isolation. This leads to a sense of shame and the creation of a "wrong" of a woman (or man) chooses to engage in sexual activity.