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Amika George: I want young feminist activism to be taken seriously

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

From Harper's BAZAAR

In celebration of International Women's Day, we asked a diverse range of inspiring high-profile figures, from actresses and poets to activists and politicians, to tell us what one thing they'd like to change for women the world over. Although feminist issues have never taken more precedence, this series proves that there is still work to be done.

Amika George founded the Free Periods campaign when she was just 17. Through relentless, determined activism, her initiative has resulted in menstrual products becoming available for free in all secondary schools and colleges in England. In January 2020, it was announced that the UK's 'tampon tax' had also been abolished.

She launched her debut book, Make It Happen, this year - a guide on how to contribute to a better world in small, practical steps


At the start of this year, a memo was waiting on the desk of the Oval Office, addressed to the Biden-Harris administration. It was written by a coalition of youth-led organisations, asking for the creation of an 'Office of Young Americans' within the executive office of the president, demanding representation for youth engagement. “As the generation that led social movements over the last several years and fundamentally changed the political landscape that determined the election, we have more than earned our seat at the table,” the memo reads.

They’re right, of course. Young people have taken to the streets and have been pushing for transformative change for generations, driving wedges into the inequalities that permeate our laws, attitudes and societies. We are moving the needle on issues that really matter to us, no longer from the fringes of power, but by spearheading campaigns and movements that command the world’s attention. From the women’s movement to racial justice to the climate crisis, youth activism has surged like never before. We turn and look back at the generations behind us to see what has worked in the past, while looking ahead and daring to radically reimagine the future we want to see.

Imagine a world where activism, and feminist activism, weaves seamlessly between different generations working for change. There’s no doubt that change would come quicker if intergenerational activism was actively encouraged, rather than young people being marginalised when it comes to heavyweight political issues. Young activists are routinely hailed as ‘inspirational’, or ‘impressive’ in our efforts to create change, but this can sometimes undermine the very efforts of those who have made very real or personal sacrifices to speak up for change. I am often asked what the future will look like for young people, or what I imagine our role to be in decades to come, but the truth is, young people are not just the future – we are here, right now. We are not waiting, but we are speaking up and shouting out, and demanding a seat at the table, but our activism is often considered separate from the key voices that fill the walls of Westminster, or echo around Capitol Hill.

Rather than patting us on the back for our efforts, and ring-fencing us into our own spaces, young people need to be allowed in the room for the ‘grown-up’ discussions, influencing agendas based on our lived realities, gaining power and autonomy on the issues which will shape our future, rather than relying exclusively those who may not live to see the long-term consequences.

Greta Thunberg once cut a lonely figure in her yellow raincoat as she sat among the cobbles outside the Swedish Parliament, but she’s shown how the power of integrating her voice, direct and unwavering, into the existing narrative can rouse millions across the world, and lead an enormous intergenerational movement that has mobilised millions. But we shouldn’t wait for each generation’s Greta or Malala to come around and ‘represent’ the aspirations of all young activists, everywhere. We need to take seriously the real political agency of young people and start asking why it’s falling to us to tackle the urgent social and political crises that loom large in our futures.

I’m so tired of being called 'inspirational'. Often, it feels like a way of preserving rigid generational stereotypes, and, in pointing out the few exceptions, it encourages the dismissal of young women, particularly, as broadly 'unpolitical', self-interested, and lacking the power to make meaningful change. In the post-pandemic world, things need to be different. Youth activism should be encouraged and normalised, not just celebrated from a comfortable distance. After all, as the saying goes, we don’t inherit the world from our parents – we borrow it from our children.

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