‘White Women Have A Responsibility To De-Centre Themselves From The Feminist Conversation’

Scarlett Curtis explains why her activism is centered around collating the work of all women...

Scarlett Curtis

by Georgia Aspinall |
Updated on

‘The only version of feminism I believe in is an intersectional feminism,’ says Scarlett Curtis, curator of Feminists Don't Wear Pink (and Other Lies): Amazing Women on what the F-word Means to Them, ‘I think white women have a responsibility to de-centre themselves from the feminist conversation and centre it around those who’s marginalisation is not solely based on gender.’

For Scarlett, this meant collating 52 essays from women around the world, from Hollywood actresses to teen activists to create the Sunday Times Bestseller she authored. As an Instagram celebrity with near 60,000 followers, she has a platform to share her voice. But as a white woman, she experiences a level of privilege that means her voice is heard where others are ignored.

That’s why Scarlett uses her privilege to share the experiences of others, which she has done not only with Feminist’s Don’t Wear Pink but also as a UN Ambassador for Girl Up- a campaign to promote ‘health, safety, education and leadership of girls in developing countries’. Currently, she’s working with Nimco Ali on her campaign to end FGM, something she says will take up her immediate and future plans as an activist.

Working with others is where she feels most comfortable, it seems, as her work centres on incorporating more women into feminism every day. Over the course of her journey with activism, she says she has ‘learnt that teenage girls are the future of feminism and their passion, energy and intelligence is going to save the world.’

As a result, she created the The Pink Protest group. In early 2017, she had previously been living in New York for two and a half years watching the 2016 US Election play out first hand. Arriving back in the UK, she was inspired by the grassroots activism she had been involved in, in turn creating a community of activists hoping to create real change in British parliament. And she’s succeeded.

‘The Pink Protest has helped to change two laws around gender-based discrimination in the UK,’ she tells me, ‘that’s been a seriously incredible thing to be a part of.’ It’s not the best thing about her work though, that would be when she gets to meet the women her work has empowered face-to-face.

Click through for inspirational Instagram accounts you should be following...

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Inspirational Instagram Accounts You Should Follow

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Women In Comics

Illustrating inspirational images and depicting women in comic form, this account will brighten up your timeline with some home truths in the form of pretty pictures.

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Adwoa Aboah

This insanely beautiful model founded GURLS TALK, an online community where women from all backgrounds can share their personal experiences in a safe space.

Alicia Garza3 of 24

Alicia Garza

Alicia is an editor and activist who co-created #BlackLivesMatter. Her feed is a mixture of relatable memes, unfiltered selfies and educational posts to keep you woke.

Amandla Stenberg4 of 24

Amandla Stenberg

You might recognise this actor from The Hunger Games, when she played the character only character we cried endless tears for, Rue. Now, while still acting, she's a full-fledged activist posting about everything gender, feminism and black culture.

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MuslimGirl/Amani

Amani created the fast-growing activism account @MuslimGirl, another one you should definitely follow. She has spoken across the world about Muslim women and posts everything from badass selfies to stats you need to know.

Amber Amour6 of 24

Amber Amour

Amber created @CreatingConsentCulture which aims to educate people on rape culture and support rape and sexual assault survivors. She's also outspoken about racism and sex work, her feed will be endless many dinner party talking points.

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Amber Rose

You may only know Amber Rose as Kanye's ex, but think again. Amber is a sex positivity icon, with her own pocast 'Loveline with Amber Rose' up until 2018 that aimed to promote healthy sexual relationships and self-love. If you can get past the fact she advertised flat tummy tea once (fgs Amber), you'll love her feminism-filled feed.

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Beverly Bond

Author of 'Black Girls Rock', Beverly's posts will have you both inspired and enraged, filled with commentary on everyday injustices.

Bree Newsome9 of 24

Bree Newsome

You may recognise Bree as the activist who took down the confederate flag from a flagpole outside the South Carolina Capitol building. She's continuing her activism with inspiring art you need to see.

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Cameron Russell

An american model who called out the fashion industry for sexual harassment and assault, she started the #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse hashtag. Her instagram is full of inspiring stories and educational videos exposing different injustices within her industry and beyond.

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Iskra Lawrence

If your not already following Iskra, your living under an Instagram rock. The body positive model started her own business, everyBODY with Iskra, to give health and fitness advice beyond just getting super skinny. You need her body posi vibes in your life.

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Jessamyn

Another super body positive account to follow, Jessamyn is a yoga teacher regularly posting about the emotional and physical benefits of body positivity and practicing yoga.

Joanna Thangiah13 of 24

Joanna Thangiah

Shun your timeline of filtered selfies and over exposed holiday destinations. It's time for some feminist, mental health aware art! This account is amazing for cute cartoons that say everything we're already feeling.

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Judy Reyes

You'll probably remember Judy as Carla from Scrubs, or one of the other thousand TV show she's been in throughout her insanely successful career. Unlike most Hollywood actors, her Insta is full of activism and news you need to know.

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Logan Browning

Activist and actor, Logan Browning is the lead of Netflix hit Dear White People. Posting powerful content and links to charities you can donate to so you can turn your online activism into action- she's a force to be reckoned with.

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Makers Women

MAKERS is a storytelling platform for women, posting quotes to keep you inspired throughout the day. Stay up to date with gender injustice, while also feeling hopeful with the powerful words these amazing women have to say.

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Nimisha Bhanot

Another artist you need to follow, Nimisha creates amazing prints (which you can buy) critiquing societal perceptions of South Asian women. She's based in Canada, but these prints can brighten up your timeline anywhere.

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Muslim Girl

Muslim Girl, where 'muslim women talk back' is an account ran by Amani. Advocating for issues facing muslim women, both accounts are an inspiration and necessity on your feed.

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Project Consent

There's no time like the present to be educating people on consent. This account does exactly that, and gives you the perfect explanations, comebacks and reminders to throw out at a dinner party if the issue comes up.

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Rowan Blanchard

Gone are the days of Disney stars going off the rails, this actor and activist is a beacon of positivity- especially online. Fighting gender and race injustice and beyond, she's one to watch.

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Rupi Kaur

Rupi made headlines in 2015 when she posted pictures of her on Instagram with visible menstrual blood. Her posts were blocked by Instagram, causing backlash against the social media platform. She continues to break boundaries with her writing and poetry.

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Sophie King

This UK based embroidery artist is an up-and-coming star, embroidering feminist slogans onto everything from bras to roses. Bring her insta to life with her slogan t-shirts, or just stare at the pretty pictures, either way she's someone you should follow.

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The Vulva Gallery

Our favourite of all the accounts, the vulva gallery promotes self-love in an area SO often ignored. With two-thirds of women avoiding smear tests, life-saving procedures, because of the look of their vagina, it's time we stopped all of the self-loathing around genitals. Providing a regular reminder that all vaginas are beautiful, if you only follow one account of this list, it should be this one.

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Trash Is For Tossers

Lauren Singer lives an entirely waste-free life. Yes, you can actually do that. As #plasticfree takes over our news feed, it's time you had some daily advice on how exactly to reduce your waste. Save the planet!

‘My favourite thing is when someone comes up to me who was moved by one of the essays in Feminist’s Don’t Wear Pink,’ she says, ‘because we can both fan-girl together about how amazing all the contributors are.’

‘Getting 52 very busy women to meet a deadline’ was the greatest challenge she faced in curating the book, but the passion and inspiration in all of those essays proved the feat worthwhile. At least, the reviews would say so- and that best seller list

Scarlett is one of our 10 Women Who’ve Changed The Conversation This Year. To mark International Women’s Day, Grazia and The Female Lead Have teamed up to celebrate the heroines who’ve made a difference to our everyday lives - even if you don’t know their name yet. We’ll be featuring a different amazing woman from the list every day online, and check out Grazia magazine on Tuesday 5th March for our list in full…

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