Feminist activism in Northern Territory women’s services

Abstract

This paper argues for a broader understanding of activism and the role played by feminist services in the development of resilient activists and the maintenance of resistance. It discusses feminist activism as described by women who work, paid and unpaid, in three feminist service organisations. Feminist services have at times been disparaged as contributing to a decline in feminist activism, but women who work within these services consider activism to be part of their core business and describe creative and innovative ways of maintaining an activist stance. However they also identify the emotional and physical costs associated with activist work, especially in hostile political environments.