FEMINIST FRIDAY: Ann Taylor Gets Political, And Madam Gandhi Mixes Music With Feminism

YAS QUEENS! It’s Friday, which means we’re sharing our fave feminist videos of the week with you! Although we have quite a mix for you in this edition, covering fashion, sports and pop culture, we figured it only makes sense to kick things off with something a little political.

Unless you have been living under a rock or a remote jungle (who are we kidding, there is literally no place on earth that can escape news about Donald Trump right now) you know there is some crazy stuff happening out of Washington D.C these days, most notably, the White House. But at the same time, there is something incredibly powerful emerging.

After Trump’s inauguration, the Women’s Marches (globally) sent a clear signal that there is a strong resistance to hate, fear and division. With a long history of being on the frontlines of feminism, social issues and demanding change, it’s clear women aren’t about to take the current political climate at face value.

Brands are starting to realize this in a big way, and this is evident in women’s clothing label Ann Taylor’s latest campaign video, ‘This Is Ann’. It highlights the personal, professional and political struggles women have experienced over the past 60 years.

“This Is Ann is a moment to reflect on the women who inspire us and the real lives they lead, honoring the generations of women who came before us, and the women who stand beside us,” said Holly Tedesco vice president of marketing at Ann Taylor.

While it coincides well for Women’s History Month in the US, we hope this kind of advertising where women’s stories and accomplishments are honored is not just a one-off or a trend based on current events. This is what we hope will become common place among brands.

We’ve previously shared with you about the news of the very first Women’s AFL league in Australia, which launched this year. There has been plenty of buzz about it down under, most notably with the focus on the gender wage gap which still plagues many of the world’s biggest sporting competitions and leagues.

Along with this fundamental equality issue comes the added perception that a woman participating in a typically male-dominated activity is not going to hold the same level of engagement for audiences as a man. The following promo video for the AFL Women’s inaugural season takes aim at this stereotype by showcasing a range of women who have defied expectations and proved women should not be counted out based on their gender.

The final video is an interview with musician and activist Madam Gandhi, aka Kiran Gandhi, who made international headlines after participating in the 2015 London marathon while “free bleeding” to make a point about menstrual stigma. She talks about how she fuses her own passions with music and feminism, while striving to push the world to be a place where all women can feel confident enough to be their most authentic selves.

In the ‘Pasionistas’ video below, we also get to witness Madam Gandhi behind her drum kit, a skill which has seen her play for the likes of M.I.A around the world. At a time when activism is being ignited in a new and powerful way, hearing how she infuses this into her career can be an inspiration for all of us to use what we’ve got and look at where we’re at in order to make a difference.