A desire to create a space for “girls to be girls” has sparked an online project.
The Girls Will Be Girls website, co-created by Tennessee Mynott-Rudland and Claire Macallister, consists of visual art and storytelling, highlighting ideas and conversations about identifying as a woman.
Ms Mynott-Rudland, a Footscray resident, said the unapologetically feminist website was seeking personal and creative contributions for the “multi-disciplinary online platform”.
“We are calling it a space for women to be their unflinching and unapologetic selves, where they can be applauded and supported doing that,” she said.
“So it’s visual art, storytelling, poetry, a place where women or people who identify as women to write stuff or make stuff about what matters to them and to be able to have a platform to put it out there and share it with the world.”
Co-creator Claire Macallister said the pair came up with the idea as a way of ensuring that the people they know feel their feminism is valid, powerful and worth sharing.
She said identifiying as feminist can still be quite radical in a way and stir up people who feel they need to fight back against you.
“Friends of mine have expressed feminist views at home and been shut down. I don’t think it’s as much of an expression of idealism at it used to be, but I think it definitely holds significant political power, depending on the way you shout it.”
As well as articles and artworks by local women artists, Girls Will Be Girls features an ongoing “What’s On in Feminist Melbourne” section.
Ms Macallister said they want the site to be accessible and encourages a wide range of people to be a part of it.
Ms Mynott-Rudland said the idea is to expand the range of voices taking part.
“We’re really big on looking at the way marginalisation from different areas of life intersects to create a different form of oppression on different people, so it’s about making those conversations happen and engaging with people who might not feel some sites are for them,” she said.
“We’re trying to reach out and engage with other members of the community to make it a space where it’s for everyone who wants to have a say.”
Visit: www.girlswillbegirls.org or www.facebook.com/gwbgblog
