Feminism is the word of the year for 2017

Merriam-Webster announced that feminism was their word of the year for 2017 back in December, following a 70% spike in searches over the last 12 months. Their official definitions of feminism are "the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes" and also the "organised activity on behalf of women's rights and interests."

The rise in searches was attributed to the prominent news coverage of the Women's March in January, as well as the Hollywood sexual assault scandals that have led to the huge feminist-led #TimesUp campaign.

When I asked my followers what they thought about feminism being 2017's word of the year, one of my male followers responded with:

On the whole, this year has been a whirlwind for the feminist movement and the fact that the public are taking a more active interest in the debate could mean that feminism is growing in popularity and favour within society.

Considering the various news stories surrounding gender equality such as the continued campaigning here in England, starting with Sadiq Khan's pledge to make London the best city for gender equality, feminist causes have become part of the news agenda. The debate is being bought into a much public sphere now more than ever before with the additions of 24 hour news services, social media and the internet, which means more people have access to feminist content and may find themselves identifying as feminist.

However, as the feminist debate comes into the limelight, this also opens the campaign to heavy criticism. Does this increased exposure only harm feminism? Like the tweet above points out, just because people were seeking the definition does not mean that they agree with the ideology itself.

With more opposition than ever before, gender equality is no longer just defined by the one movement, but by several other organisations each aiming for different equalities - including the 'controversial' Men's Rights groups.

#feminism