Using only a whiteboard and markers, a Rhode Island college's feminist organization has provided an opportunity for its members to express why they need feminism.
The Rhode Island School of Design Feminists Organization recently hosted its third "Why I Need Feminism" photoshoot. Moriah Benton, the organization's president, told The Huffington Post that seeing the members' responses evolve over time has been "a phenomenal experience."
"Participants have always responded with statements that are relevant and meaningful, but what's most impactful to me is seeing how more people are taking their individual experiences and having a more developed conversation about them through the lens of intersectional feminism," she said.
Benton told HuffPost that the RISD Feminists hosted an intersectionality workshop in October and held an event last spring with Therese Schecter, filmmaker of "I Was a Teenage Feminist," that included a screening of her film "How to Lose Your Virginity" and a Q&A. She said the members have also teamed up with other organizations on campus to host public discussions regarding institutionalized racism and police brutality.
The "Why I Need Feminism" photoshoot is about more than simply spreading awareness of women's issues and gender inequality. Benton told HuffPost that it also offers a chance for others to recognize their own privilege and provides an opportunity for voices to be heard that normally would not be.
"It's a more accessible way to address areas of privilege and connect these complex issues to members of the community who we know and interact with regularly," she said. "I think it's also important on a personal level for individuals to unapologetically project their voice and know that their experience is being recognized by their peers."
See more photos from the "Why I Need Feminism" photoshoot below.
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