‘Feminism is dead.’ Oh no it isn’t.

When the activist and academic Finn Mackay arrived in London in 2002, she expected to find a "lively, angry and practical" feministSomeone who calls for women's rights and equality of the sexes. movement - but she was disappointed to realise that this was not the case. Things have changed dramatically over the last 13 years. Mackay founded the London Feminist Network, which now has around 2,000 members. Well-known figures from Beyonce to Hillary ClintonAn American Democrat politician, diplomat and former First Lady. She ran to be US president in 2016, but was beaten by Donald Trump. have allied themselves with the movement. And this weekend, over 1,000 people will gather near Hyde Park for the eighth annual Feminism in London conference, which will discuss everything from street harassment to forced marriage. The movement is more than just talk. Earlier this week, the new QI host Sandi Toksvig helped to launch the Women's Equality Party. The group hopes to bring its concerns directly to the world of politics by standing in elections against candidates who do not agree with their policies. It's six core goals comprise equal representation in politics and business; equal education; equal pay; equal parenting; better portrayals of women in the media; and an end to violence against women. "We're the only political party whose ultimate aim is to push ourselves out of business," said their leader, Sophie Walker. The fight for women's rights stretches well over a century, and it has seen huge leaps forward since the days of the suffragettesWomen’s suffrage is the right for women to vote in local and national elections. The suffragettes fought for this right. . Yesterday the cover of The Spectator even declared that "Feminism is dead." But many women disagree. The Women's Equality Party points out that there are more men in Parliament right now than there have ever been female MPsMembers of Parliament. MPs are elected to represent people in 650 different geographical areas. . And roughly 35% of women around the world have experienced domestic or sexual violence. Feminism may be having a moment — but issues which affect half the population are complex and often divisive. Women from diverse backgrounds can have different priorities when it comes to campaigning, and can often disagree on solutions to the problems they face. The party hopes to create gender equality using political force — like UKIPThe UK Independence Party is a populist party that was founded in 1993 with the aim of taking the UK out of the EU. , they argue that pushing one key message will pressure mainstream parties into real changes, such as legal quotas for a gender-balanced parliament. Once women are represented in government, they can legislate on other issues which affect women too. Not so simple, say others. When a patriarchalA society in which adult men have a monopoly on power. In these societies, men tend to hold all political positions, and women and children are also expected to obey the men in their families. society raises boys to be adventure heroes, and girls to be princesses, the game is rigged from the start. Inequality will never be fixed by politics alone because our entire culture was built on the idea that women are worth less than men. Without radical changes, the fight will never really be won. Q & A I'm a boy - this isn't really about me.Maybe not directly, but we're willing to bet you know plenty of women and girls who will be affected by these issues during their lifetime. Besides, gender inequality hurts men as well as women, by confining them to "masculine" roles, and often making it harder to express emotions. True equality only comes when everyone works together. I believe in equal rights, but I don't like the word "feminism". Some worry that "feminism" implies women who believe in gender equality also hate men, but this is not true. Instead, many feminists would argue that the name is important simply because women historically suffer more than men. Labels can be an important way of understanding a movement, but in the end, feminism's name is less important than its outcome.KeywordsFeminist - Someone who calls for women's rights and equality of the sexes.