Feminism is a political and social movement that strives for equal rights between women and men. Several achievements are part of the movement’s history, such as the right to vote (also known as suffrage), legalized abortion, equal pay and many others.
But for the struggle to grow and reach new victories, it is necessary for us, women, to remember that feminism must begin on a daily basis, from the simple fact of consuming work created by women to the absence of judgments that have as reference patterns created by the culture industry of fashion and beauty.
Do you want to know how feminism can be part of your day by day? Pay attention to these 8 points:
1. Support other women instead of creating rivals
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Since childhood we are taught to fight against other women and as absurd as it may seem, stories about female rivalry is on books, teen movies and sitcoms like it is the most obvious thing to do in the world.
So begin to question and rationalize this social construction: why should we fight against other women? Why should there be a competition for best clothes, body or social status? We are all women, different and equal on our own ways and we should be always together, offering support to each other.
2. Consume work made by women
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Did you know that in 2017, 100% of the most played musical artists in the whole world were men? This information was revealed during a partnership between Spotify and Smirnoff, which promoted an action for more female artists to be heard on the streaming platform.
The intention here is not to make you stop consuming music, books, movies, games and other products that are produced by men, but make you pay attention to the big quantity of culture that is made by women and is not widely consumed and even less disclosed.
3. Stay close to other women
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Have you ever felt afraid of being approached by a man when you were walking alone on an empty street? Have you ever felt nervous when realized you were the only woman in the subway car or the bus? Whenever you see a woman in this situation, join her! If you are going through these or similar situations, try to stay close to the first woman you see.
Together we are stronger and this is how the “Vamos Juntas?” Project came about in 2015. Created by the journalist Babi Souza, who wanted to spread the idea that we should always be close to each other in situations that may offer danger and risk to our lives.
4. Let the women talk!
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At this point, we have the same argument of the topic “Consume jobs made by women”. Do you need to interview a person on a specific subject? Talk to a female professional. Want to take a course? Look for a female teacher. Especially if the subject is women, after all, we live our own struggle, so we must speak for ourselves.
Here, again, the goal is not to prohibit the search for male professionals, but to encourage the search for women, since they already suffer from inequality in various ways. In 2017, Deloitte’s Woman in the Boardroom survey said women hold only 15 percent of the world’s top leadership positions, then why don’t we start small chances so we can se a different really in a few years?
5. Do not be quiet when you observe an injustice
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Did you see a woman being humiliated, mistreated, beaten? Help her immediately or search for reinforcements if necessary.
Remember also not to put the life of the other person and neither yours at risk. Every cause has a consequence, be it death, a persecution, the loss of a job or more humiliation. In these cases, search help from the police – if it is specialized it’s better -, from someone you trust in a leadership role and use and abuse of evidences, whether in video, audio or otherwise. The main topic here is: don’t be quiet e help the way you can.
6. Do not judge other women appearance
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Patterns of beauty and fashion come and go as the years go by, but for some time now we see excessive and unnatural thinness being treated as the ideal to be reached all over the world. Open a fashion magazine and look at its editorials: how many fat women do you see?
And it is not only in the shape of the body that prevails in the pattern that creates prejudices. Black and Asian women are not valued, hair “should” always be smooth, as if any other type were forbidden and ugly. What world is it that wants us all to be the same? Who wants to profit from plastic surgeries over our sadness and that massacres stretch marks and cellulite?
It never existed and there will never be a perfect body. There is no problem in being _________ (insert any physical characteristic here). Faced with so many patterns, we know that it can be difficult to start to feel beautiful overnight, but that is not impossible. Talk to your friends, your mother, a psychologist about this subject. And remember, just as you are beautiful, other women are also, so do not judge them.
7. Introduce feminism to other women
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Do you remember when you learned what feminism is? Was it through a friend, a book, a documentary? No one is born knowing everything, so be open to present feminism to other women and always remember to take their situation into account.
As much as the main points of the movement are almost always the same, the way of explaining them to women with different realities will always be different. Explaining what feminism is to a teenager may not be the same as explaining to a 40-year-old housewife who is submissive to her husband.
Different cultures and customs deserve different approaches. We are not the same, we all have different experiences and stories, and that influences a lot in the way we get new subjects.
8. Do not feed stereotypes
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You must have heard men and women saying “blondes are stupid,” “your face is so beautiful, why don’t you lose weight?”, “women are very hysterical/emotional”, “women don’t know how to drive cars”, “women don’t understand about sports”.
Do not feed stereotypes that degrade women image. Many blondes may be feeling insecure, overweight women may be pushing the limits of their bodies by trying to be thin, women with emotional problems may be choking their own feelings, while others may be giving up to follow their dreams at the wheel or on blocks, fields and pools.
The path that each one is following is a consequence of stereotypes that do not make sense and only serve to hurt. Why to make a woman sad if you can make her happy?