Even though the stigma of the word “feminist” has lessened with the rapid growth of this generation’s women’s movement, it’s easy to get confused on what being a feminist entails. If you, like many others, got involved with the women’s movement following the 2016 presidential election, you may have asked yourself if you were doing it right, or if you were just joining because everyone else was.
In the world of political activism, there is no wrong reason to start vocalizing your advocacy of equal rights. If one views feminism as a way to better society by unifying women and bringing awareness to injustice, there is no wrong way to be a feminist. With that said, I bet many of us know we could be doing more for the cause in our daily lives. Here are four small ways to incorporate feminism into your everyday life.
The idea of reading extra material outside your heavy classwork may sound burdensome if you don’t already do so, but being well versed in the feminist perspective could complement other aspects of your education. It is just as important to understand the origins of inequality as it is to point out current injustice. “Getting educated” could take many different forms, ranging from reading books, blogs, watching Ted Talks, or even following inspirational women on social media.
The point is — becoming more informed shouldn’t feel like a chore, so use resources that inspire and interest you most!
2. Support your female peers
I like to believe we are at stages in our social and academic lives where we don’t rely on competition with peers. However, it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like other women are competition. To combat that feeling, we can help other women reach their goals. This can mean being a workout buddy, helping a female classmate when they seem to be struggling, or even just having a positive attitude and giving out genuine compliments. One of my favorite things to do is giving out compliments that don’t necessarily address appearance, but instead someone’s character and the good work they’re doing. This mostly means I use the phrase “you’re a boss” daily.
Letting other women know that you like them, support them, or are inspired by them has a much bigger impact than you’d assume just in the moment that you give a simple compliment.
3. Give in to your philanthropic side
Even though you may be a “broke college student,” there are ways to financially support women’s groups. I often disregarded donating money because who really needs my $20.53 of pocket change? The point is that if everyone donated $20.53 a year on charities instead of putting that money towards 4 Starbucks’ drinks, the world would be a better place. Here’s a challenge: donate your piggy bank/mason jar/Tupperware full of coins to a charity of your choice at the end of this academic year.
Donating can be difficult when there are so many groups to choose from and you don’t know which ones to trust. For more info, visit charity navigator. If you prefer a local charity you can select Wisconsin under state preferences.
4. Be your own woman!
Independence and individuality are qualities that play major roles in personal development and are, for many reasons, much more accessible to men. As long as you feel safe, try doing more things on your own! The next time the opportunity arises, don’t back down from grocery shopping alone, eating lunch alone, studying alone or working out alone. Having time with your thoughts allows you to a.) give yourself a break from the world and b.) gives you more freedom to do the things you didn’t know you wanted to do until you were picking out fruit alone at Whole Foods. Also, you’ll feel like a boss.
In regards to individuality, you being your own woman inspires other women to do the same. Wear what empowers you most, whether that be a halter top and skirt or a hoodie and jeans.
Being a proud and self-proclaimed “feminist” can seem daunting or intimidating at first glance, but all that it comes down to is equality. Feminism is all about equality for women, and equality for all women. However you choose to incorporate that into your daily life is a step in the right direction, and it’s a step that we all can take.