Ecofeminism is the intersection between feminism and ecology. In this philosophy, gender based oppression is shown to be influential to the destruction of the environment and the oppression of non-human animals. It is part of collective liberation: an understanding that all oppression is interconnected. To achieve this liberation, all oppression must be confronted simultaneously. More often than not, liberation movements are recognised as struggles for justice by separate marginalised groups, rather than understood as interrelating. Ecofeminism identifies the need for a collective approach. The ecofeminist approach has flourished with the rise of third wave feminism as a theoretical and political concept. To introduce the intersections between feminism and species, I want to use ecofeminism to look at a specific media phenomenon that went viral after feminist outrage: the Protein World advertisement. The social anger is justified in this case, but there is an inconsistency. The discourse acknowledges gender-based oppression in humans, but refuses to acknowledge gender based oppressions in non-human species.

Renee Somerfield is the model who chose to pose for Protein World. The advertisement depicts Somerfield in swimwear next to the question, ‘Are You Beach Body Ready?’ – promoting whey protein that is designed to help women lose weight when exercising. Feminist outrage at the advertisement has been fuelled by antagonistic graffiti, scribing ‘fuck off’ on posters. The reaction has been sent viral as feminists argued against the body shaming language used in the advertisement. Somerfield has since announced that she believes the feminist reaction to be partly body shaming her. She claims that the advert is about fitness rather than the media’s perception of beauty. She also announced that she is vegan.

All women, including Somerfield, have the autonomy to exhibit their body however they wish, wearing as much or as little as they want. To contradict this autonomy only reinforces oppressive gender boundaries. However, it is important to discuss and hold to account individuals who refuse autonomy to others. Somerfield herself recognises the importance of autonomy by saying, “I agree that ALL bodies are ‘beach body ready’. Skinny, curvy, muscular, petite, tall, short, young and old. Confidence is beautiful no matter what size you are…. Your reflection doesn’t define your worth.” But her participation in Protein World’s body shaming advertisement advocates the problematic message. By putting ‘Are You Beach Body Ready?’ next to Somerfield on her own, there is an undeniable correlation that shows Somerfield’s body to be an example of a beach body. This reinforces the normative ideals of beauty.

Being ‘Beach Body Ready’ is an unclear trait to have. Literally, it requires a body at a beach – then you are ready! But theoretically, judgement should not extend beyond self-confidence in your own body – it does not matter how ready someone else is and whether they feel ready. For a ‘Beach Body’ to be about fitness reduces human bodies into objectification, destroying the acceptability of abnormal or disabled people, or anyone without confidence. This has the potential to increase body stigma and even perpetuate mental illnesses. To conclude, the advert is an example of body shaming.

This feminist backlash has been the dominant discourse on social media, but the Internet has mostly ignored Somerfield’s veganism. Not only does her presence in the advertisement advocate the body-shaming message of Protein World, but she is also advocating the sale of whey protein – an animal product. Of course, people choose a vegan lifestyle for many reasons, including health and fitness, but it is problematic that Somerfield advertises animal products in her career, especially when the uproar has provided further promotion to increase whey protein sales. While Somerfield’s problematic choice has consequentially lead to a boost in business for Protein World, there is a much darker connection between the advert’s expression and the product that it promotes.

Processing cow’s milk produces whey protein. To most people, the extraction of milk is a normal process that does not harm the animals. We are taught from an early age that humans are the only species to continue drinking milk after infancy, and that we are the only species to drink the milk from another species. We do not question this, but we should. Beyond the health conspiracies, the dairy industry enforces violence against animals in a business operating through gender-based oppressions. There are various intersections within the abuse of animals that correlate to feminist struggles. To achieve collective liberation, this link must be acknowledged both by feminists and animal activists.

At birth, the gender of the animal defines their fate. In the dairy industry, males are only useful for the production of veal and beef, experiencing a very short life of confinement and suffering. These calves may be taken away from the mothers as early as the same day. Males not used for meat are killed immediately. Females will be returned back into the system. Their worth is defined by their milk production.

The female animals are subject to artificial insemination without consent. To human animals, this is known as rape. These non-human animals do not have a choice to mate, as this is not a mating ritual. Cows are inseminated with sperm collected from a bull by humans and their machines. The bulls are subject to gender-based oppressions too. Their worth is dependent on their sperm count and they will never mate naturally. When they are no longer useful for breeding, they are slaughtered.

Dairy cows have an expiry date. As the cows grow older and milk production falls, they will be slaughtered as second grade meat. This usually happens around the age of five. The female calves replace their mothers in the cycle of milk production.

Human milk is sacred, but animal milk is not. Breastfeeding in humans is encouraged. It is often seen as a symbol of maternal connection, and there are various feminist movements focused on the liberation of breasts, such as breast feeding in public as well as Free The Nipple, the freedom for all genders to be bare chested in public. However, the milk of farm animals is not respected. Cows are bribed into farm buildings with food while their milk is extracted mechanically, suctioned from their teats. The milk of a cow, much like the animal itself, is not respected. It is a commodity.

Non-human animals also experience objectification. On bottles of milk, cows are used to advertise products, depicted as existing in idyllic grassy meadows and smiling. This could not be further from the case as cows among other farm animals are produced and exploited on factory farms. Udders are also emphasised in cartoon images of cows – an ironic clue as to the origin of exploitation. Animals are objectified into simplistic advertisements because humans find it difficult to recognise animals as independent living beings with the right to life. The objectification of animals follows a similar trend to the objectification of women that has historically silenced women through gender-based oppressions.

Through the various ways humans exploit gender to assert oppression on animals, the resulting animal products are being used to fund vanity and gender-based oppressions within humanity. Whey protein advertisements provide visions of unattainable beauty. These render human bodies into objectification, and every so often, they reinforce body shaming expressions such as in the Protein World advert. Humans consume the bodies and products of animals in order to feel better about their own body, whether they want to increase their health and fitness or because they want to appear more attractive. There is nothing wrong with having body aspirations, but using whey protein, meat or other animal products contradicts the principle of autonomy: freedom to do whatever you want with your own body, so long as it does not negatively impact any one else. When using any animal-derived proteins (as opposed to the wide variety of plant based proteins available), there is a denial of the exploitation, suffering and death experienced by the animals supplying these products. These creatures were refused autonomy, and to deny their right to autonomy is to amorally deny their existence and their sentience.

In this single advert for Protein World, Somerfield contradicts her principles by advocating both a body shaming message and the exploitation of animals. It has been difficult to create a consistent collective liberation movement between these two concepts, as they have often presented the other in problematic terms. Feminism has often fought against women being represented as animals or as bestial. The animal rights movement has often fought for justice using misappropriated parallels to rape and women’s bodies. However, with an intersectional approach, a movement of liberation rooted in solidarity, ecofeminism has the potential to raise awareness of all inequalities that still plague our society.

To begin with, can we please re-evaluate why we need advertisements like this…

Further Reading + Viewing: ‘The Sexual Politics of Meat‘ and ‘Our Daily Bread‘