We aim to paint a nuanced portrait of feminist economic practices, revealing the opportunities and constraints the feminists behind them encounter as they strive to resist exploitative practices from within.
Moving beyond the conventional narrative of co-optation by capitalism, our study investigates the contributions of feminist economic practices to the feminist movement. Our research seeks to unravel the impact these feminists have on their communities, the broader feminist movement, and their role in raising awareness of various forms of discrimination.
Feminist Businesses, or Feminist Economic Practices as we like to call them, are stunningly diverse. However, their role within the feminist movement remains a subject of debate.
What kind of questions are we asking?
We want to understand how you view feminism, how you run your business, and what is feminist about your business (in your own opinion). More generally, here are some questions that drive our research: What is a feminist business? Is it possible to practice feminism via a business? How? Do feminist businesses have a legitimate place in the feminist movement? Is it possible at all to have an ethical business within a capitalist economy?
Our theoretical frameworks
The theoretical frameworks we are currently using are the diverse economies framework by Gibson-Graham. The work by Caroline Shenaz Hossein on the Black Social Economy is also guiding our research. We will soon share more on the inspiration behind our work.