Between their history as tools for sex education and their mission to bring women more pleasure, sex toys have largely become a feminist venture. So, it's not surprising that there are specifically feminist sex toys on the market. When we teach women they deserve equality in the bedroom, we teach them they deserve equality in life. And one clear way to send that message is to create products that promote this equality.
What makes a sex toy feminist? For many, it's the mission to close the gap in sexual satisfaction many men and women experience — sometimes known as the orgasm gap or the pleasure gap. “We believe that we will not have true gender equality until we have pleasure equality,” Alexandra Fine, Dame Products’ Co-Founder and CEO, tells Bustle. “Everyone has the right to sexual pleasure!”
One study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women were over three times as likely as men to say that their last sexual experience was just slightly pleasurable or not pleasurable at all. And another study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that straight women had fewer orgasms than any other group.
To change these circumstances, we need far more than toys. We need people to value women more inside and outside the bedroom. But products geared toward women's pleasure can provide a jumping point into conversations about these issues, and that's a start. Here are some sex toys with encouragingly feminist missions.
1Eva
Dame Products created this hands-free couples' vibrator with the explicit mission of closing the pleasure gap, since it provides the clitoral stimulation many women need to orgasm through intercourse.
2Fin
Dame Products' second toy works toward the same goal, but in the form of a finger vibrator, so your partner can get in on the action. "We wanted to continue designing products that helped close the 'Pleasure Gap,' products that could be used unobtrusively to help increase intimacy and pleasure," Fine told Bustle. "After creating Eva, we heard from some potential customers [who] wanted to be more engaged in using the vibrator on their partner (or themselves)."
3Crescendo
This vibrator acknowledges the vast diversity of human bodies and sexualities by bending to its owners' preferences. "We know that the best partners move and respond to your every touch," the toy's crowdfunding page reads. "They adapt, change, and learn — without any buttons. So we wanted to take that adaptability and bring something revolutionary to pleasure: a brand and device that is responsive to you — no matter what your mood, location, or occasion."
4The Lioness
The Lioness, $229, Lioness
The Lioness, the world's first smart vibrator, collects data about your vaginal movements and temperature, which it displays on an app. The app can tell you things like how long it takes to orgasm and and what point in your cycle you're most turned on. Lioness co-founder and CEO Liz Klinger told Bustle that this kind of product can give couples an impetus to start talking about sex. It can also help people figure out what's normal for them instead of comparing themselves to unrealistic societal standards.
5Vesper Vibrator Necklace
Vesper Vibrator Necklace, $69-149, Amazon
What better way to encourage sex-positivity than to show off your sex toys around your neck? This toy looks like a necklace, acts like a vibrator, and works great as both.
Being a feminist is about more than buying sex toys, of course. But if you can enjoy orgasms while promoting gender equality and sex positivity, why not take advantage of that?
