The rise of #feminism – the impact of digital feminism on shaping gender perspectives and expression amongst young Singaporeans

• Main Author: Lok, Cheryl Chew Ting
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Social Sciences; Gender; Patriarchy; Digital feminism; Generation Z; Family
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/175952
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the rise of the digital age and growing feminist movement online as part of fourth-wave feminism, many societies around the world today are experiencing a gradual liberalisation in their societal gender ideals. Given that this egalitarian shift in gender thought is mostly centred in a Western context, this paper seeks to understand if and how gender views amongst Generation Z youths in a traditionally patriarchal ‘Asian society’ like Singapore may have similarly shifted and the role of digital feminism online in shaping their gender perspectives. Through conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this paper has found that though Singapore youths believe themselves to be liberal and egalitarian in their gender views, they still possess and hold salient these traditional gender beliefs. The family unit also continues to play a key role in shaping their gender mindsets and exerts significant influence over their willingness and ability to challenge the existing patriarchal system.