The Pussyhat

The Pussyhat is a symbol of support and solidarity for women's rights and political resistance.

Created by Jayna Zweiman and Krista Suh as part of the Pussyhat Project in November 2016 , the Pussyhat has since become a symbol, raising awareness about women's issues and advancing human rights by promoting dialogue and innovation through the arts, education, and intellectual discourse. What started as a simple means of protest, participation, and solidarity has become an iconic global symbol of political activism.

The Pussyhat is also a great tool for discussing and highlighting women’s rights and history through a more contemporary lens. In acknowledging the rise of the Pussyhat following the 2016 election, there is also the acknowledgement that women are still not equipped with the equity and equality that they have been fighting for for over a century now.

However, it is critical to note that when examining the current women’s movement and talking about objects such as the Pussyhat, not all women are represented through such conversations. The Women’s March in January 2017, where we really begin to note the rise of the Pussyhat, was in many ways non-inclusive. Many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color) were not represented and continue to be overlooked in the progression of women’s rights.

This is a trend we see quite often when discussing women’s history and movements throughout American History and where the term of “White Feminism” comes into play and is essential to discuss. An ideology that can be traced throughout the history of feminist movements in the United States, White Feminism preaches the importance of individual success and conceives of equality as something women can achieve primarily through careerist endeavors and the exploitation of other women and marginalized people. The goal of white feminism is not to alter the systems that oppress women — patriarchy, capitalism, imperialism — but to succeed within them.

Koa Beck, author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind (2021), states that White Feminism, however, is not exclusive to white women. Beck notes that because it is so pervasive, people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds often buy into the promises of White Feminism, believing that if they work hard enough, they may be able to reap its alleged rewards.

The Pussyhat allows us to highlight these issues faced by the current and ongoing women’s movement, allowing for a better understanding of the work that has yet to be done but also brings to the forefront the issues that women, as a collective, continue to face in their efforts to bring full equity to women both across the nation and around the world.

Samantha Mahoski, curatorial assistant, talks about the PussyHat currently on display within the exhibition, “The Way We Work(ed).”