This week’s motion – that feminism is dead – proved to be an intriguing discussion about what feminism is today, what it has been in the past, and what it could be in the future. But most importantly, the debate hung on whether feminism was only western preoccupation, being irrelevant for the developing world, and whether it actually helped women who weren’t already wealthy, highly educated and privileged. Maiko Fairbrother made a very good case for the idea that the word itself has become toxic, whatever it might mean today, and that the backlash feminism was experiencing today was more than enough evidence that the killing off of feminism was timely. Dilara Gencer and Saleha Hashemi opposed this argument, making a very strong argument for the relevance of feminism to women who are less privileged, and who live in the developing world, and how the worries about the death of feminism are very much a narrow western preoccupation. Kseniia Fartushna in Year 9 also spoke excellently in her first debate. Next week’s motion will be: ‘This House supports the promotion of Artificial Intelligence.’

 

Mr Ahern & Mr Murphy