Issue #1

Active Bitch Front
Het is tijd om voor jezelf op te komen!

by Rijn Collins

Active Bitch Front is a feminist collective from the Netherlands, dedicated to questioning prescribed roles for women in society and subverting media images of women. The following information comes from discussions with one of the founding members, and from their website, which I’ve translated from Dutch to English as best as I could (so please forgive any mistakes meisjes!).

Active Bitch Front was formed in 2000 by a group of Dutch activists, writers and musicians in their early twenties who were dissatisfied with many aspects of daily life for women. Their plan of action was to hang posters throughout major cities in the Netherlands that brought to attention these points, and to hopefully inspire further reflection and discussion. Addressed in the posters were topics such as the pressure exerted by the beauty and fashion industry upon women, the taboo in our society against women using violence to defend their own bodies and personal space, and the responsibility of the individual to reflect upon their own life instead of merely analysing and criticising others’.

The posters were signed ‘Active Bitch Front’ but the members themselves remained anonymous, in order to not influence the reaction to the posters at all. One of the members described for me a conversation with one of her male friends who had seen several posters and reflected upon them, totally unaware of the fact that his friend had herself drawn it. Feedback from the posters varied: while generally positive from women, some people were aggrieved enough to rip down a large percentage of the posters almost as soon as they were posted.

ABF are quick to point out that they are not coming from an anti-male viewpoint. As their website says, “Some people think because of our posters that we are an organisation against men. On the contrary, we try to influence men as well as women. We know as well as anyone that there are men who are not sexist, who don’t think that all women are good for is housework. However, we find that our society is still very male-centered in many points, and that is reason for us to focus on women. One fact is that the majority of perpetrators of assault and violence are men, and the majority of victims are women. So we have no dislike of men in general, but rather try to defend ourselves and other women against those men with whom we DO have a problem!”

ABF addresses the issue of media proliferation of beauty stereotypes that are unlikely or at best unattainable. “The greater part of women in the Netherlands still, often unconsciously, think that they must present themselves carefully and beautifully, not only towards men, but towards the whole of society. That they must look good, have the right measurements, trendy clothes and a glowing complexion like supermodels in magazines. How often do you hear women say “I wouldn’t go out the door without makeup!” or “no-one can see me when I first wake up”. With our posters we want to say that you don’t have to appear as anyone except who you are. If you make up your face every day and think that’s why men find you sexy, then it’s likely you’re attracting the wrong kind of man. Show yourself how you REALLY are.”

The posters also bring to attention the issue of personal safety, and how steps taken in the attainment of such can clash with expectations of femininity. One posters states “van me afslaan??? Straks breek ik nog een nagel?!! (hit someone? What if I break a nail?!). As their manifesto states, “we want to say that if you’re walking on the street and someone troubles you, don’t be sucked into thinking that you can’t answer back because it’s not ‘nice’ behaviour. NO-ONE has the right to do/say anything to you that you don’t like. It is your body and no-one has the right to misuse it. Stand up for yourself, no-one else is likely to do it for you. Take care that you can protect yourself in whatever way necessary; if need be, take a self defence course. It’s mad that women can’t walk the street at night without great care; this is something we must work on. It’s time to look after yourself!”

Although ABF’s poster campaign has been put on hold this year due to the band and zine commitments of the members, the collective remains interesting and inspirational. I find the spirit behind the poster campaign refreshing and motivating, and I like the fact that they “answer to nothing and no-one!” Their main purpose is to inspire people towards further thought and hopefully action. They write “people become as though programmed to think in a certain manner, for example on issues such as the male to female relationship, materialism etc. People go along with the general population and try as much as possible to adapt. Can’t you still determine how you think? You don’t have to accept what you see in the papers and on TV - you don’t have to look like a supermodel, and who care whether you drink Coke or Pepsi?! We try with our posters to point out these points and make people THINK about them. Don’t let other people lead you along: form your own opinions. Above all, THINK!”