-
Introduction: Cyberfeminism
Cyberfeminism is hard if not impossible to define. To me, cyberfeminism means different things for everybody. I would say that anybody that uses the internet or digital media to promote equality and justice for women around the world, or promotes the feminist agenda can be considered a cyberfeminist. This movement is important for everyone, especially since technology has been evolving at an astounding pace since the 1990s. -
"Cyberspace" defined and coined
In 1982, William Gibson coined and defined the word "cyberspace" as the disembodied yet parallel digital world where all the world's data was stored. Cyberspace would become the battleground for cyberfeminism and cyberfeminist groups. Throughout the 1990s, this term has evolved to mean the online communications and virtual reality of the Internet. -
Cyborg Manifesto Published
A Cyborg Manifesto was written by Donna Haraway and talked about the future of feminism as it related to technological advances. The essay criticized certain points of feminist theory and developed a new "cyborg theory" where humans and machines mix to create a new sense of identity for people. -
Sadie Plant's Reflection on Women and Virtual Reality
Sadie Plant's work entitled "Feminisations: Reflection on Women and Virtual Reality" introduced the connection between women and the virtual world, as well as the "rise of cybernetic self-organizing systems". Her writings allowed her to become one of the most recognized cyberfeminist authors and activists of the 1990s. -
First Cyberfeminist International
The first Cyberfeminist International took place for eight days in Kassel, Germany. The primary goal of these 37 women was to define cyberfeminism and decide on how to progress their movement. They agreed that there was no one definition that suited "cyberfeminism" perfectly and determined that the term should remain undefined. -
Old Boys Network: "Next Cyberfeminist International"
This meeting was the second international cyberfeminsist meeting and focused on continuing the work that had occured in 1997. However, they emphasized "New Cyberfeminism" which was needed to distinguish themselves from the group that met in '97. They felt that the meeting in 1997 had too narrow a focus and wanted to expand the meaning of what a Cyberfeminist was. -
Technofeminism is Published
Technofeminism was written by Judy Wajcman and was a contuation to her book Feminism Confronts Technology. This book, however, delves into the similarities and differences surrounding early feminist theories and current feminist theories. In addition, this book focuses on feminism as it relates to the frontier technological information systems. -
Rethinking Cyberfeminism
In 2009, Jessie Daniels published "Rethinking Cyberfeminism" where she provides an overview of cyberfeminist theories and practices. In this she notes that "any attempt to write about cyberfeminism as if it were a monolith inevitably results in a narrative that is inaccurately totalizing. However, what provides common ground among these variants of cyberfeminism(s) is the sustained focus on gender and digital technologies and on cyberfeminist practice" - Jessie Daniels. -
Cyberfeminism in Middle East
Rita Stephan wrote an article describing the challenges facing women in the Middle East. She describes how women used the Internet to connect to other feminist groups and educate people about their situation. In addition, Stephan brings light to the fact that, in some countries, women aren't allowed to use the internet at all without supervision from a male figure. This is how feminism in certain areas of the world has slowed with the advancement of government. regulations on the Internet. -
Revisiting Cyberfeminism
An article was posted in 2015 entitled "Revisiting Cyber Feminism." It described how people are continuously using the internet to promote feminism, but also attacks the issues of what to do in addition to the internet, or "post-internet". As the article states "It is certain that pursuing individual careers or technological savvy is not enough: as a term and as a collectivity, Cyberfeminism can and must bring women together, to inspire and to grow creative and critical work." -
Judy Wajcman on the Impact of Digital Technology
In this video, Wajcman continues her discussion present in "Technofeminism". She continues to talk about how the feminist theories are promoted online and how the Internet has effected women. -
Conclusion: Cyberfeminism
Cyberfeminism has grown over the past 2 decades and many people have written books, posted blogs, and started movements online. However, just like a cyborg, I believe that the most successful form of feminism would be a combination of online activism and offline action. Using the internet to connect to feminist groups is a powerful tool, but to get out off the computer and act on these theories is the next big step.
