#womeninmalefields: A commentary on social media trends, patriarchy, and gender

Hashtags have provided value in connecting communities online, and the trend #womeninmalefields is the latest amongst these. This hashtag brings a community of predominantly young women together to share their experiences. This sharing tells us a lot about what kind of gendered behaviours have become normalised, but are no longer tolerated. It is important to understand the intersections of both patriarchy and heteronormativity on influencing expectations within relationships as well as perpetuating the issues that arise. Social media is bringing women together to be able to exchange knowledge, breaking down the power contained within patriarchal and heteronormative relationship structures. These online collective commentaries on shared experiences provide a power-disrupted space that visibilises what the patriarchy and heteronormative relationships perpetuates. This commentary explores these issues with a consideration for implications in relationships and social media going forward.