According to the Canada SexMap 2023 report from sexual wellness company Lovehoney, Canadians bought enough sex toys in one year that their length, end to end, would reach four times the height of Toronto's CN Tower!
Faced with this high consumption of sex toys, it is easy to wonder what feminists think of these objects.
The beginning of vibrators
From the 2nd century until the mid-20th century, doctors prescribed a treatment for women's "hysteria" (Saul, 2005). This "hysteria" manifested itself in anxiety, insomnia, irascibility, vaginal lubrication, etc. (Saul, 2005). The treatment, carried out by doctors or midwives, consisted of manual massage of the female genitals (Saul, 2005) until a state of relaxation, fullness, and satisfaction was achieved, today called "orgasm."
This treatment quickly became very popular, exhausting doctors. They therefore decided to invest in a motorized device. This device, invented in 1869, was the very first automatic steam-powered masturbator (Gour, 2022). Following this success, it was converted to electric power in 1878, as a vibrator (Gour, 2022).
Vibrators moved out of hospitals and into the private sphere when, in 1920, they appeared in the pornography industry (Saul, 2005).
What is pro-sex feminism?
In 1980, a feminist movement emerged out of disagreement with "abolitionist feminism" (Marchand, 2020). Unlike abolitionist activists, activists in the new movement, called pro-sex, did not wish to condemn prostitution or pornography (Marchand, 2020).
For pro-sex feminists, sexuality should be deconstructed from all its stereotypes and discriminations in order to achieve sexual liberation (Marchand, 2020). They want a sexuality without taboos, assumed, consensual and adapted to the female physiognomy (Marchand, 2020).
They also want women to learn to know their bodies and to enjoy themselves alone in order to be free and in control of their sexual desires (Gour, 2022).
Pro-sex feminism and sex toys
Pro-sex feminists have seen great political potential in sex toys for women. They see these objects as capable of “converting frigid, anorgasmic housewives into powerful sexual beings, capable of both multiple orgasms and the destruction of patriarchy…” (Adams, 2023).
Additionally, sex toys that stimulate the clitoris allow you to explore this entire organ and deconstruct the culture of penetration. Indeed, our culture advocates sexual intercourse that includes penetration of the vagina by a penis, but according to a study by sexologist Shere Hite in 1982, only "three out of ten women usually have orgasms from intercourse," which indicates that stimulation of the external clitoris should be a priority in order to meet women's needs.
Feminist companies
Since 2010, several sex toy brands have taken an interest in feminism and incorporated it into their products and brand ideas (Gour, 2022). These brands, such as Lelo, Womanizer, etc., focus mainly on the sexual well-being of women and their physiognomy.
For example, the company "Adore U" offers a vaginal accessory called "Kegel balls." This accessory is used to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, prevent or cure stress incontinence, help vaginal elasticity, etc. These benefits are caused by perineal exercise in women, thanks to wearing Kegel balls.
This progress has led to an exponential expansion in the number of women owning and using sex toys. This is encouraging, given the many benefits these tools offer, both on a micro and macro scale.
For all ages
According to a 2019 survey by the Senior Observatory, “45.6% are fully satisfied with their sexual relations” and 38% of senior women say that it is “easier to reach orgasm thanks to a battery-operated companion” (Boumediene, 2021).
Additionally, “anything that helps maintain genitals and sexual function is very beneficial,” according to Dr. Papazian. This is even more important for women who have reached menopause, as they are at greater risk of vaginal dryness and atrophy when they do not stimulate their vagina (Boumediene, 2021).
Mediagraphy
- Adams, Kim. June 2023. The Conversation. When Vibrators Were Meant to Heal. https://theconversation.com/when-vibrators-were-meant-to-heal-208760
- Boumediene, Anissa. November 2021. Are sex toys perfect for seniors? Everything is explained. https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3164223-20211104-bienfaits-cognitifs-anatomiques-effets-liberateurs-sextoys-parfaits-seniors
- Caussat, Pascale. December 2021. Sunday Journal. New technologies, feminist brands, unashamed influencers: the revolutions in the sex toy market. https://www.lejdd.fr/Economie/nouvelles-technologies-marques-feministes-influenceuses-sans-complexes-les-revolutions-du-marche-du-sextoy-4079518
- Gour, Juliette. March 2022. Her Story. What if the sex toy was the most feminist object there is?https://www.herstory-media.com/perso/sextoy-vibromasseur-feminisme-objet-emencipation-ec8
- Magnan, Géraldine. May 2022. Midwifery profession. Sex toys: what for? https://profession-sage-femme.com/sextoys-pour-quoi-faire/
- Marchand, Molly. May 2020. Feminists in the City. What is the Pro-Sex Feminist Movement? https://www.feministsinthecity.com/blog/what-is-the-pro-sex-feminist-movement?categoryId=35674
- Massicolli, Elisabeth. January 23, 2025. Sex Toys: More Diverse and Inclusive Than Ever. Elle Québec. https://www.ellequebec.com/societe/amour-et-sexe/jouets-sexuels-plus-diversifies-et-incluifs-que-jamais
- Messias, Thomas. March 26, 2019. What if we went beyond penetrative-centric sexuality? Slate. https://www.slate.fr/story/174273/penetration-rapport-sexuel-feminisme-heteros-dworkin-clit-revolution
- Rambal Julie. June 2021. L'illustré. The sex toy revolution. https://www.illustre.ch/magazine/la-revolution-des-sex-toys
- Saul, Jennifer M. 2005. Cairn.info. New Feminist Questions. Objectification, Pornography, and the History of the Vibrator. Treating Things as People and People as Things. https://shs.cairn.info/revue-nouvelles-questions-feministes-2005-1-page-38?lang=fr
