We've had some questions about our feminist orientation, and an FAQ page is a good way to officially address them in a public forum. Bear in mind as you read this that there are as many expressions of feminism as there are feminists. Not all women are feminists, and not all feminists are women. In fact, some of our favourite feminists are men. See Daniel Radliffe, Rupert Grint, and Michael Kimmel.
Are we feminists?
Of course we are. Any organisation that works expressly for the equality of women is, by definition, feminist. Fourth Wave feminism is also concerned with the equality of minorities, people of colour, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minorities including intersex and asexual people) community, etc. The low numbers of women (and people of colour, and LGBTQ+ people and other minorities) in motorsport fits within that brief.
Are we the kind of feminists who shave our heads but not our legs (and insist that others do the same)?
No. That kind of feminist has become more rare since Second, Third, and Fourth Wave feminism came into being. We believe that gender expression is a personal thing. If you want to wear pink dresses, make-up, and style your long hair into epic, Pinterest-inspired masterpieces, that's great. If you're more into jeans-and-plaid (or, let's be realistic, team kit) with low-maintenance hair, that's also great. How you feel comfortable expressing your gender is great for you, and we don't believe in policing it. Women who police other women's gender expression for not being feminine enough are called phallic women; we don't approve of that either. We have a Pinterest board about beauty tips, and the emphasis is firmly on actions and strategies, rather than products that promise the world.
Do we hate men?
No, no, no! We love (most) men. Hating all men universally, simply for having penises, is not what feminism is about (or at least not the kind of feminism that we practice). Some men are sexist assholes; some women are sexist assholes; sexist assholery is not gender-specific. Hating men is counter-productive, especially in an industry dominated by straight white guys, a large number of whom are really great to women.
Are we an exclusive women's club?
No. Firstly, we're not a club, we're a support system. Secondly, we employ men, we network with men, we support and accept help from men. Our focus is primarily on gender equality, but all issues of equality are feminist issues, and we can't have a conversation about gender and equality without men at the table.
Do we hate grid girls?
No, we don't hate grid girls. Grid girls are women involved in motorsport too, and deserve to be welcomed into the community, especially since some of them use their modelling work to support their racing habit. (They also use modelling to pay their bills in this tough economy, to get an education, etc., but that's a story for another time.) We've also met them online, and they seem like lovely people.
That said, we would like to have a conversation about the wider motorsport community treating women as sex objects. In the academic literature, believing that women are sex objects strongly correlates with more problematic things like high rape rates, wide pay gaps, and low gender integration. We're not okay with women being 'entertainment' simply by existing (actual quote from an email between a series boss and a friend of Brij's who asked why they had grid girls). If we're going to have grid girls, we want to get to know them as people rather than as boobs-on-legs.
Do we expect all women in motorsport to be preachy women's lib types?
No. If you are a women who loves fast cars, you are by definition a member of the sisterhood. We accept that there will be a variety of political opinions within the group. Assuming that all women will think or feel the same about a particular topic is an insidious form of sexism, because it doesn't take into account that all women are multi-dimensional individuals with diverse life experiences and opinions of their own.
Are we fan-welcoming?
Of course! Most people – women included – who end up working in motorsport started out as fans. If you're a fan with a skill you feel could enrich the community, give us a shout! All we require is that you treat other members of the wider sisterhood with the respect you would like to receive.
What do we think of Dare To Be Different
Story time. Forests are complex ecosystems. A multitude of species find their homes in forests, from the mycelium (literally translates to 'mushroom root', this acts like the intranet of the forest) to the mother trees (pioneer individuals of a particular species that establishes in the forest and nurtures its seedlings and saplings via the mycelium). Each species performs a vital role, and without one or two (or a few), the ecosystem would unravel. We think of ourselves as the mycelium, connecting similar species and sharing nutrients between the plants in the forest. Susie's role is a vital one as one of the mother trees in the 'women in F1' forest. It is possible, even encouraged, to be nurtured by the forest's mother tree and be plugged into the mycelium for help from other species.
Why are we doing all this for women when men are really the ones being discriminated against in fields like engineering, where women are 'gifted' with jobs upon leaving uni, whereas men have to fight each other in their thousands?
We're doing this for women because the data say that there are fewer women in motorsport, and this needs at the very least a conversation and a good look at the data to figure out how to make it more equitable. We just want to know some information, which we will use to inform our strategy. If you would like more information on how to live in happy masculinity, we really recommend the work of Michael Kimmel; he's a very thorough and rational researcher, and writes in a witty, informative style.
Who exactly are we fighting?
Nobody, really, because we're not fighting. We believe in non-violence. It is possible to protest an unjust system without turning it into a violent revolution. Incidentally, the likelihood of a movement adopting non-violent methods is strongly predicted by the group's attitude to the role of women. So yes, we believe in voting with our dollars and will recommend our tribe avoid buying certain products or services if it becomes known that the providers/promoters are unethical, but no, we're leaving our fire-starting spells in the 'emergency use only' section of the spell book.
Are we feminists?
Of course we are. Any organisation that works expressly for the equality of women is, by definition, feminist. Fourth Wave feminism is also concerned with the equality of minorities, people of colour, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minorities including intersex and asexual people) community, etc. The low numbers of women (and people of colour, and LGBTQ+ people and other minorities) in motorsport fits within that brief.
Are we the kind of feminists who shave our heads but not our legs (and insist that others do the same)?
No. That kind of feminist has become more rare since Second, Third, and Fourth Wave feminism came into being. We believe that gender expression is a personal thing. If you want to wear pink dresses, make-up, and style your long hair into epic, Pinterest-inspired masterpieces, that's great. If you're more into jeans-and-plaid (or, let's be realistic, team kit) with low-maintenance hair, that's also great. How you feel comfortable expressing your gender is great for you, and we don't believe in policing it. Women who police other women's gender expression for not being feminine enough are called phallic women; we don't approve of that either. We have a Pinterest board about beauty tips, and the emphasis is firmly on actions and strategies, rather than products that promise the world.
Do we hate men?
No, no, no! We love (most) men. Hating all men universally, simply for having penises, is not what feminism is about (or at least not the kind of feminism that we practice). Some men are sexist assholes; some women are sexist assholes; sexist assholery is not gender-specific. Hating men is counter-productive, especially in an industry dominated by straight white guys, a large number of whom are really great to women.
Are we an exclusive women's club?
No. Firstly, we're not a club, we're a support system. Secondly, we employ men, we network with men, we support and accept help from men. Our focus is primarily on gender equality, but all issues of equality are feminist issues, and we can't have a conversation about gender and equality without men at the table.
Do we hate grid girls?
No, we don't hate grid girls. Grid girls are women involved in motorsport too, and deserve to be welcomed into the community, especially since some of them use their modelling work to support their racing habit. (They also use modelling to pay their bills in this tough economy, to get an education, etc., but that's a story for another time.) We've also met them online, and they seem like lovely people.
That said, we would like to have a conversation about the wider motorsport community treating women as sex objects. In the academic literature, believing that women are sex objects strongly correlates with more problematic things like high rape rates, wide pay gaps, and low gender integration. We're not okay with women being 'entertainment' simply by existing (actual quote from an email between a series boss and a friend of Brij's who asked why they had grid girls). If we're going to have grid girls, we want to get to know them as people rather than as boobs-on-legs.
Do we expect all women in motorsport to be preachy women's lib types?
No. If you are a women who loves fast cars, you are by definition a member of the sisterhood. We accept that there will be a variety of political opinions within the group. Assuming that all women will think or feel the same about a particular topic is an insidious form of sexism, because it doesn't take into account that all women are multi-dimensional individuals with diverse life experiences and opinions of their own.
Are we fan-welcoming?
Of course! Most people – women included – who end up working in motorsport started out as fans. If you're a fan with a skill you feel could enrich the community, give us a shout! All we require is that you treat other members of the wider sisterhood with the respect you would like to receive.
What do we think of Dare To Be Different
Story time. Forests are complex ecosystems. A multitude of species find their homes in forests, from the mycelium (literally translates to 'mushroom root', this acts like the intranet of the forest) to the mother trees (pioneer individuals of a particular species that establishes in the forest and nurtures its seedlings and saplings via the mycelium). Each species performs a vital role, and without one or two (or a few), the ecosystem would unravel. We think of ourselves as the mycelium, connecting similar species and sharing nutrients between the plants in the forest. Susie's role is a vital one as one of the mother trees in the 'women in F1' forest. It is possible, even encouraged, to be nurtured by the forest's mother tree and be plugged into the mycelium for help from other species.
Why are we doing all this for women when men are really the ones being discriminated against in fields like engineering, where women are 'gifted' with jobs upon leaving uni, whereas men have to fight each other in their thousands?
We're doing this for women because the data say that there are fewer women in motorsport, and this needs at the very least a conversation and a good look at the data to figure out how to make it more equitable. We just want to know some information, which we will use to inform our strategy. If you would like more information on how to live in happy masculinity, we really recommend the work of Michael Kimmel; he's a very thorough and rational researcher, and writes in a witty, informative style.
Who exactly are we fighting?
Nobody, really, because we're not fighting. We believe in non-violence. It is possible to protest an unjust system without turning it into a violent revolution. Incidentally, the likelihood of a movement adopting non-violent methods is strongly predicted by the group's attitude to the role of women. So yes, we believe in voting with our dollars and will recommend our tribe avoid buying certain products or services if it becomes known that the providers/promoters are unethical, but no, we're leaving our fire-starting spells in the 'emergency use only' section of the spell book.