Mad Fucking Witches

Jennie Hill founded the group Mad Fucking Witches (MFW) in 2019, to push back against misogyny, especially from Australian media figures. The group takes its name from a famous text message sent by Member of Parliament Peter Dutton in which he called journalist Samantha Maiden “a mad fucking witch.” 

Like the counterspeech group Sleeping Giants, the witches pressure companies to withdraw ads from platforms that air misogyny, and like SG, it has had tangible results.

Its first campaign was against Alan Jones, a well-known Australian radio personality, after he said Australia’s then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, should “shove a sock down [former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s] throat”. MFW claims that more than 530 advertisers “witchdrew” from Jones’ radio show in response to protests from members of the group. Jones subsequently left the station that was broadcasting it. 

Over 80,000 people follow the group, and it is still operating several campaigns.