Op-Ed: Commercialized Feminism, Profiting From the Movement Without Accountability?

@ Independent

Imagine it: Your feed is flooded with pink graphics, hashtags like #GirlPower, and heartfelt posts from brands “celebrating women.” Or

Nike tells you to dream crazier. Dove wants you to feel beautiful. A fast fashion label urges you to “support women” by buying their latest crop top for $7.99—made, ironically, by underpaid women in a garment factory halfway across the globe.

Welcome to commercialized feminism—where the politics of empowerment have been rebranded, repackaged, and sold back to us in glittery slogans and curated campaigns. But beneath the surface of this glossy marketing lies a crucial question:

Are brands truly supporting feminism, or just profiting from it?

From Radical to Retail

Feminism, at its core, is a political movement. It challenges power structures, fights for systemic change, and pushes for equity in every corner of society—from the bedroom to the boardroom. But once corporations realized that feminism sells, something shifted.

What used to be a radical fight has now become a market trend.

Empowerment is being sold like a lifestyle.

T-shirts that scream The Future is Female are produced in sweatshops. Makeup brands push “self-love” while profiting off insecurities. Companies slap a pink logo on products every March without ever improving parental leave policies, boardroom diversity, or supply chain ethics.

This is faux feminism—feel-good messaging without meaningful action.

The Danger of Feel-Good Activism

On the surface, it might seem harmless—or even helpful. After all, isn’t it good that feminism is becoming mainstream?

Yes… but only if the message stays grounded in truth and accountability.

The risk with commercialized feminism is that it dilutes the movement. It shifts the focus from collective liberation to individual consumption. Instead of asking, How can we change the system?, we're encouraged to ask, Which empowering slogan should I buy today?

And worse, it gives companies a shield. By aligning with a popular cause, they can mask unethical practices and dodge responsibility.

When Feminism Becomes a PR Strategy

Let’s be honest—many brands that market feminism often fail women behind the scenes. It’s not uncommon to see a tech company proudly post about #WomenInSTEM while maintaining a workplace culture that underpays and sidelines female engineers. Or a fashion retailer that celebrates “body positivity” on social media but continues to digitally alter models and exclude plus-size, trans, or disabled bodies from its campaigns.

Even more troubling are global brands that launch flashy women’s empowerment campaigns while resisting unionization efforts led by their underpaid female workers in the Global South.

These contradictions reveal a deeper truth: feminism has become a PR strategy. When a brand’s internal policies don’t align with the values they promote publicly, it’s not allyship—it’s opportunism.

Empowerment cannot be selective or surface-level. If a company’s feminist message is only skin-deep, it risks becoming part of the very system feminism aims to dismantle.

What Real Feminist Branding Looks Like

That said, it’s not impossible for brands to genuinely support feminism—they just need to go beyond performative gestures. Real feminist branding is rooted in structural change, not marketing trends.

It means committing to fair labor practices across the entire supply chain, ensuring that the women who make the products are treated ethically and paid fairly.

It means being transparent—sharing honest data on pay gaps, workplace diversity, and harassment policies.

It’s about inclusivity that isn’t just tokenistic, but deeply embedded in product design, leadership, and storytelling. And most importantly,

It means using corporate influence to advocate for policies that actually advance gender equality—like paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and reproductive rights.

In short, a feminist brand doesn't just speak to women—it stands with them. Not just during Women’s History Month, but every day.

Final Thought: A Feminism That Can’t Be Bought

Feminism was never meant to be an aesthetic. It’s not just about catchy slogans or pink packaging. It’s about redistributing power and creating space for all women to thrive—especially those who have been excluded, exploited, and unheard.

So the next time a brand tries to sell you empowerment, ask yourself:

Who’s really empowered by this? And who’s being left behind?