The rapid rise of online feminism: A symptom of the surfacing of a fourth wave?

In this article, the author argues that the mediatization of the hashtags #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc, through which the public was made aware of the vigor of online feminist mobilization, is a manifestation of the recent emergence of a fourth wave of feminism in France. The term “wave” is used in the empirical sense, which makes its existence identifiable in relation to three measurable criteria, two of which are tested and validated. The first criterion relates to the rise of public interest in topics linked to feminism or gender relations, and is verified in terms of internet users’ searches on the web, as well as the topics debated at the National Assembly. The second criterion relates to a reconfiguration of militant ideas and practices. On this point, the role of the democratization of social media, from the restructuring of the cognitive market that they operate, to the regime of panoptical visibility characterizing them, is examined.