According to the Canada SexMap 2023 report by sexual wellness company Lovehoney, Canadians purchased enough sex toys in one year that, laid end to end, their combined length would reach four times the height of the CN Tower in Toronto!
In light of this widespread consumption of sex toys, it is easy to wonder what feminists think of these objects.
The origins of vibrators
From the 2nd century until the middle of the 20th century, doctors prescribed a treatment for women’s “hysteria” (Saul, 2005). This “hysteria” manifested as anxiety, insomnia, irritability, vaginal lubrication, etc. (Saul, 2005). The treatment, performed by doctors or midwives, consisted of manually massaging the female genitals (Saul, 2005) until reaching a state of relaxation, fulfillment, and satisfaction, today called “orgasm.”
This treatment quickly became very popular, which exhausted doctors. They therefore decided to invest in a motorized device. This object, invented in 1869, was the very first automatic steam-powered masturbator (Gour, 2022). Following this success, it became electric in 1878 as a vibrator (Gour, 2022).
Vibrators left hospitals and entered the private sphere when they appeared in the pornography industry in 1920 (Saul, 2005).
What is pro-sex feminism?
In 1980, a feminist movement emerged because of a 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 of all its stereotypes and discrimination in order to achieve sexual liberation (Marchand, 2020). They want a sexuality without taboos, openly embraced, consensual, and adapted to the female physique (Marchand, 2020).
They also want women to learn to know their bodies and experience pleasure alone in order to be free and masters of their sexual desires (Gour, 2022).
Pro-sex feminism and sex toys
Pro-sex feminists saw significant political potential in sex toys designed for women. They view these objects as capable of “transforming frigid, anorgasmic housewives into powerful sexual beings who can both have multiple orgasms and destroy the patriarchy…” (Adams, 2023).
In addition, sex toys used to stimulate the clitoris make it possible to explore this entire organ and deconstruct the culture of penetration. Indeed, our culture promotes sexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by a penis, but according to a study conducted by sexologist Shere Hite in 1982, only “three out of ten women usually orgasm from intercourse,” indicating that stimulation of the external clitoris should be prioritized 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 identity (Gour, 2022). These brands, such as Lelo, Womanizer, etc., focus mainly on women’s sexual well-being and physiology.
For example, the company “Adore U” offers a vaginal accessory called “Kegel balls.” This accessory serves to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, prevent or treat stress incontinence, and help maintain vaginal elasticity... These benefits result from exercising the woman’s perineum by wearing Kegel balls.
This progress has led to an exponential increase in the number of women who own and use sexual accessories. This is encouraging, given the many benefits these tools provide, both on a micro and macro scale.
For all ages
According to a survey conducted in 2019 by the Observatoire des seniors, “45.6% are fully satisfied with their sexual relationships,” and 38% of senior women say that it is “easier to reach orgasm with a battery-operated companion” (Boumediene, 2021).
Furthermore, “everything that helps maintain genital and sexual functions is very beneficial,” according to Dr. Papazian. It is even more important for women who have reached menopause, because they face a greater risk of vaginal dryness and atrophy when they do not stimulate their vagina (Boumediene, 2021).
Media bibliography
- Adams, Kim. June 2023. The conversation. When vibrators were supposed to provide treatment. https://theconversation.com/quand-les-vibromasseurs-etaient-censes-soigner-208760
- Boumediene, Anissa. November 2021. Would sex toys be perfect for seniors? Tout sexplique. https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/3164223-20211104-bienfaits-cognitifs-anatomiques-effets-liberateurs-sextoys-parfaits-seniors
- Caussat, Pascale. December 2021. Le journal du dimanche. New technologies, feminist brands, confident influencers: the revolutions of 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 were 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 are they for? https://profession-sage-femme.com/sextoys-pour-quoi-faire/
- Marchand, Molly. May 2020. Feminists in the city. What is the sex-positive feminist movement? https://www.feministsinthecity.com/blog/qu-est-ce-que-le-mouvement-feministe-pro-sexe?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-inclusifs-que-jamais
- Messias, Thomas. March 26, 2019. What if we moved beyond penetration-centered 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. Nouvelles questions féministes. 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
