Read back through all the build-up to our Twitter chat on International Women’s Day about the role of feminism for today’s teenagers, plus live updates as it happened
Send questions, observations, contemplations and pontifications to childrens.books@theguardian.com or tweet @GdnChildrensBks using #gdnteenfeminism
8.08pm GMT
With a wiping of the metaphorical brow, the hour is over!
The debate is still rolling and will be for some time we suspect, so head over to #gdnteenfeminism if you want to keep reading.
@thurrockjoshua @GdnChildrensBks I'd like to see more Twitter chats about it. Love seeing everyone's opinions. #Gdnteenfeminism
8.02pm GMT
The clock has tolled, the hour is upon us and our time is up.
8.01pm GMT
What about this as a note to end on…?
#Gdnteenfeminism Books are so powerful, because they let you become other people. When you've BEEN Katniss, how can you be anti-feminist?!
Don't worry about getting feminism WRONG. This isn't about being perfect, it's about trying to find a way to live equally. #Gdnteenfeminism
#Gdnteenfeminism take your place, lean in or as I like to say brain in - do it even if you're scared, it's your right to be there, claim it
7.57pm GMT
Lots of talk about whether being feminist means you shouldn’t care about how you look. Holly Smale (ex model) is on record thus:
You should love and celebrate however you look because it is PART OF YOU. Instead of aspiring to be like someone else. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.56pm GMT
This is the ethos of the Guardian Children’s Books site in less than 140 short and sweet characters.
@stupidgirl45 We can learn from teens. My daughter has banned the word "bossy" in relation to girls in our house! #Gdnteenfeminism
7.54pm GMT
There are only 5 short minutes left of this fascinating discussion which, unfortunately but like all the best, is going to leave far more questions unanswered than problems it solves.
7.53pm GMT
This conversation is, in a nutshull, why feminism needs to be engaging with society:
@holly_bourneYA @CeejaytheAuthor @BlameBookshelf Girls shouldn't value themselves according to how pretty they are. #Gdnteenfeminism
@CeejaytheAuthor @holly_bourneYA @BlameBookshelf Because looks are a) chance b) impermanent c) not a reflection of who a person is.
@holly_bourneYA @CeejaytheAuthor @BlameBookshelf SNAPS!! #Gdnteenfeminism
Let’s educate!
7.49pm GMT
We sincerely hope Lauren exonerates the Guardian from her admittedly all too justifiable condemnation!
http://t.co/eaTi8mWPiN one of the reasons why feminism is so important; mainstream media imposes inequality #gdnteenfeminism
7.48pm GMT
The conversation is multiplying in – well, multiple directions!
Having SO MUCH FUN - come join in on #Gdnteenfeminism ---- it's not too late!
7.46pm GMT
We have nothing further to add to this. Proof, if any more were needed, that while we may not agree about the answers this debate must be had.
@BlameBookshelf Disturbing. Dangerous. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.44pm GMT
Why thank you! The accolades come pouring in! Bow, courtesy, confetti, swoon!
Teen girls voicing their opinions on #feminism? This might be my all-time favorite hashtag. #gdnteenfeminism
7.44pm GMT
And we mustn’t forget, if feminism is all about breaking down judgemental stereotypes then we mustn’t simply impose new ones in their place.
.@_ella_claire_ You CAN. Feminists can love what the hell they want to. That's what feminism is. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.42pm GMT
What’s the most important issue facing women in this day and age?
@emilyvelveteen Interesting. But I think the battleground changes. In the 20's in was votes. Then 70's (till now) it's pay. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.39pm GMT
Perhaps one of the gatekeepers of our civilisation can blaze a trail for others? After all, we were talking about the crucial importance of fairytales earlier (se 19.02 and 19.04). Maybe a new generation is coming through?
Girls want strong, capable heroines who have their own adventures. Disney is finally getting it. #Gdnteenfeminism pic.twitter.com/viaaY1EhoF
7.37pm GMT
Remember, you can get involved in the debate at anytime before 8pm.
Head to Twitter and post using #Gdnteenfeminism, or send a question to us at childrens.books@theguardian.com. If you want to address a particular participant then make sure to ask them directly.
7.36pm GMT
There are more words we need to think a little more carefully about than just feminism:
@kieraobrien @oneilllo @_jamesdawson Ho hum. And every girl character who isn't an actual doormat is called 'feisty'. Ugh. #Gdnteenfeminism
@sarwatchadda exactly! Tell boy toddlers they look pretty too & girl toddlers they're brave. Let's mix up the adjectives! #Gdnteenfeminism
7.34pm GMT
As if the discussion needed complicating further, this is an excellent and necessary point to raise:
What about the concept that gender is not binary? How does that apply to feminism #Gdnteenfeminism Equality for all genders/sexuality no?
7.33pm GMT
Particularly when it starts to affect even self-consciously feminist teenagers. It’s something that causes suffering to so many young people. And regardless of political orientation everyone has to agree that that just cannot be right.
@BlameBookshelf @HolSmale It makes me really sad that we need to feel pretty or attractive to others to validate ourselves. #Gdnteenfeminism
@BlameBookshelf @HolSmale I wish we could find a way for teens to know it's not all about what others think. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.30pm GMT
And this is the thing we need to really hammer home about feminism. It isn’t actually really just about girls.
@timbrell07books Also very damaging as this tells boys that girls' interests / lives of no relevance to them #Gdnteenfeminism!
7.28pm GMT
Yet while the wider issue may be as difficult to disentangle as a ball of string caught in a hedge of thorns, there are specific things we can do to make headway:
@timbrell07books we need to get publishers to stop with their girl and boy book branding for starters.... #Gdnteenfeminism
@HolSmale @BlameBookshelf YES. Stop saying to girl toddlers "you look so pretty in that dress" #Gdnteenfeminism
7.26pm GMT
Another problem with defining the term. But for the better!
@Charli_TAW if you are female & have an opinion you are a feminist - even if your opinion is that you aren't a feminist #Gdnteenfeminism
7.25pm GMT
Contributors young and young-in-spirit are noticing the same trend.
@Grumblenook @tr0ublemayer #Gdnteenfeminism There seemed to be more feminist discourse in the 80s, when I was at uni, than the early 2000s.
@Grumblenook #Gdnteenfeminism It's been good to see a resurgence in the past few years. I think things like this chat show how far it's come
7.22pm GMT
Never a community to dodge the difficult questions, putting feminism into context is crucial. After all, if young people aren’t engaging with politics at all, why should gender politics be any different?
How can feminist characters help combat apathy when it comes to challenging status quo? #Gdnteenfeminism
7.20pm GMT
And this is another important facet if we’re talking about changing cultural perceptions of gender.
@whatSFSaid @HolSmale Hence imptance of access to libraries & open curricula that get outside status quo! #Gdnteenfeminism
Studying feminist lit is SO important, reading The Handmaids Tale and The Bloody Chamber at college was so enlightening #Gdnteenfeminism
7.18pm GMT
We’re now moving on to discuss the role of the internet in all this: as potential liberator but also site of so much discrimination. You’re getting your money’s worth here folks!
@samatlounge While the mainstream media won’t offer more diverse role models, we need to do it online! #Gdnteenfeminism
7.16pm GMT
Hmm. That’s now beginning to look like a hugely unoriginal thought. Copyright Emma Watson.
Anyone! Emma Watson said that the word feminism shouldn't be a thing because it's the movement that counts. Is this true? #Gdnteenfeminism
7.15pm GMT
Is this the answer? Should we be thinking about feminism as a “thing” any more? Shouldn’t we just all believe in equality by default?
@AnitaNaik the mindset needs to be feminist is the default position rather than a fringe role. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.12pm GMT
@sarwatchadda We need better education around what the word FEMINIST means to empower a new generation of campaigners. #Gdnteenfeminism
It’s certainly true that the word ‘feminism’ is taking some hits, which maybe don’t have all that much to do with the real-world problems it’s trying to confront. Is this symptomatic of a wider need to redefine it for the twenty-first century?
7.10pm GMT
What we are all agreed on so far, though, (and this is great for all our bookworms!), is the importance of fiction and the arts more generally:
Totally agree @oneilllo - we all need empowering role models in fiction. Characters that make us feel we can do anything. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.10pm GMT
Holly Smale perhaps errs on the side of compromise.
@Grumblenook @GdnChildrensBks @ArabellaWeir @oneillo Which is something we need to change sharpish. #Gdnteenfeminism
Why do you think boys (especially teenagers) are so scared of calling themselves feminists? #Gdnteenfeminism
@Grumblenook I think they see it as feminine and young men are conditioned to broieve that anything feminine is negative #Gdnteenfeminism
7.08pm GMT
Now we’re stepping into more controversial territory:
@BlameBookshelf while it's important to include men, it's MORE important to encourage young women to become feminists #Gdnteenfeminism
7.06pm GMT
And SF responds:
@Freddymadefilms #Gdnteenfeminism Hi Freddy, thank you! I was brought up by a single mum, with many strong & brilliant female relations...
@Freddymadefilms #Gdnteenfeminism ...so for me, there's never been any question about gender equality! I want all my books to reflect this.
7.04pm GMT
Holly responds:
@thurrockjoshua We need to make sure our fiction is giving the right messages, because these are the dreams kids develop. #Gdnteenfeminism
7.04pm GMT
And the questions are now coming in thick and fast (and from two boys – excellent to see):
#Gdnteenfeminism hi @whatSFSaid whats your view on feminism, and also, bixa was a really cool female character for me, what do you think?
7.02pm GMT
As promised, Joshua is first to take the bait:
@HolSmale You wrote about the fairytale fantasy but this is all some children know, so what role does fiction play? #Gdnteenfeminism
7.00pm GMT
Can we all agree or will it get feisty? Let’s find out…
6.58pm GMT
And let’s hope that while we may all have our differences of opinion, we can still hold a rational, thoughtful and measured debate about what is an important issue.
I'm looking forward to the #Gdnteenfeminism chat. Remember the message of Bill & Ted: Be excellent to each other
6.56pm GMT
Right, time to start #Gdnteenfeminism! I'm getting ready to dive right in with my questions, so Twitter better prepare! @GdnChildrensBks
We’re prepared!
6.47pm GMT
A point Anita Naik has in fact just made herself.
To the person who just direct messaged me misandry is not feminism. You can have your say on this any more at #Gdnteenfeminism in 15minutes
6.46pm GMT
Here’s something to get the little grey cells stirring…
Early question on email from TwilightVi #Gdnteenfeminism for @HolSmale I'm only 9 but want to be a feminist. What's your advice for me?
@GdnChildrensBks Believe that you are as valuable, as capable, as worthy as any boy, and you can do and achieve anything you want.
6.40pm GMT
Everyone's welcome to join the #Gdnteenfeminism chat 7pm tonight! Please tell your friends & spread the word! @GdnChildrensBks #HeForShe
There’s still plenty of time to add your own questions. Simply head to Twitter and post now using #Gdnteenfeminism, or send them to us at childrens.books@theguardian.com. If you want to address a particular participant then make sure to ask them directly. Or just toss an idea out there and see what happens!
6.32pm GMT
A little light relief before the tough questions start rolling in. After all, even the most cerebral and emotive of topics can be elevated still further by the occasion of a quiz. So feminism in fiction? No problem! Can you get 10 out of 10?
6.21pm GMT
Growing up as a little girl in Nigeria, I had very supportive parents who told me I could do whatever I wanted to. I dreamt of doing many things: flying to space, becoming the first female President of Nigeria, writing books and becoming a ballet dancer. However, I knew that because I was a girl, there were limits to what I could do. Nobody came out and explicitly told me this, it was just something you knew. As a girl, there were certain things you couldn’t do.
I like to call them the “untold rules” of society.
Read more from teen Children’s books site member and FGM campaigner June Eric-Udorie here.
6.09pm GMT
And for something a little more up to date, the highs and lows of gender stereotyping in the media in 2015…
5.58pm GMT
Before the debate gets fast and furious, here’s a (brief) chronology of key events in the women’s movement over the last 150 years. Because, in the words of Guardian editor C.P. Scott, “comment is free, but facts are sacred”.
1867 The London Society for Women’s Suffrage founded a campaign for female suffrage.
5.42pm GMT
Here are the authors extraordinaire willing to come out of hibernation (on a Sunday evening no less) for the betterment of mankind...
Louise O’Neill, author of feminist dystopia Only Ever Yours and this blog on her journey to feminism, @oneilllo
Join the club! http://t.co/6TckJKh0xv pic.twitter.com/8rhTH6GZl1
5.25pm GMT
That, at least, seems to be the question on many people’s lips at the moment. After all, this is the twenty first century: women can vote; women have equal rights and equal opportunities (supposedly); women can stand as MPs, be elected to the House of Lords and, who knows, we may even have a female President of the US if Hillary Clinton wins in 2016. The most powerful politician in Europe right now is female (Angela Merkel for those of you scratching your heads). What else do we want feminism for?
The trouble is, campaigns like #everydaysexism continue to highlight the discrimination women suffer on a daily basis on the streets of so-called developed nations, never mind appalling recent domestic abuse statistics, the 203 girls still missing in Nigeria after being kidnapped by Boko Haram, or the millions suffering silently in countries across the world where women’s rights are not enshrined in law.
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