Empowering Women through Alternative Settings: Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival

Abstract

Sexism is a form of oppression impacting women in multiple spheres of their lives. The current study examines the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival as an alternative setting in which attendees create a unique culture apart from dominant patriarchal systems. An ethnophenomenological approach was used to examine experiences of empowerment and healing among festival attendees. Twenty women were interviewed at the festival and this data was analyzed using content analysis. The women-only, feminist space offered attendees both physical and emotional safety, which yielded healing. Participants defied gender-prescribed roles through work duties, gender nonconforming dress, and festival events/ceremonies. The development of a “festival family” and close relationships within the festival, quiet times of introspection, and designated spaces of healing were empowering. Results from this study add to the understanding of empowering settings and may inform efforts to create safe spaces for other oppressed groups.