Branding Miss G___
Third Wave Feminists and the Media
by Michelle Miller

Women's studies is now well entrenched in the university curriculum. But why isn't it a core part of high school education? The Miss G__ Project for Equity in Education, founded in 2004 by two first-year university students, is lobbying the Ontario government to make this happen. The group's namesake is the historical Miss G__, who was among the first wave of young women to attend university in the United States in the 1870s. During her studies, Miss G__ died suddenly and her death was used as proof that women put themselves at risk when pursuing higher education, a theory that was once used to bar women from higher education.

Today, the Miss G__ Project has chapters in eleven universities across Ontario. As third wave feminists, the members of the group understand just how difficult it is for feminist organizations to win the media attention crucial to their lobbying efforts. As a strategy to gain more exposure, they have created a public image that relies heavily on heterosexual femininity — casting themselves as "ladies," posing coyly in skirts, wearing full makeup and offering perfect smiles.

The author herself is a member of the Project. While she supports the group's initiative, she has serious concerns about the appropriateness of a feminist organization using "personal appearances" as a political tool. Will this strategy help the Project reach its political objective? Or will the media reframe the image to shape a negative public opinion that erodes the Project's overall support? To answer these questions, Miller interviews the group and contrasts their interpretation of their strategy against critical media analyses to better understand how their message is being communicated and how it is likely to be taken up by the public. Branding Miss G__ is an exciting and insightful discussion that takes a fresh look at how third wave feminists are engaging with the media to foster social change.