Christmas presents for Feminists (big and small!)

[everybodypuuuullllll]

If you're not in the Christmas spirit probably best you look the other way

But I've started my Christmas shopping and I thought it'd be nice to share some ideas for Christmas for the feminists in our lives, big and small.

I'll start - got these cards for my DD last year and we've played with them loads. They're set up as Happy Families but you can play lots of different games with them e.g. we used them to do a quiz on a long car journey, which worked well. You could read the booklet with info on a set of the women, then pick a card from the set at random and get quizzed on it.

Wonder Women: A Happy Families Card Game

(Linking to Amazon as I like reading their reviews and info, generally, but obviously there are more ethical shops out there)!

[everybodypuuuullllll]

Sorry, I probably should have explained, if it's not obvious form the title - all the cards are of well known women past and present eg artists, explorers, scientists, sportswomen etc.

[everybodypuuuullllll]

The Radical Tea Towel company has some great stuff e.g.

And also other lefty stuff (although I guess, some of it is a bit on the woke side!)

//www.radicalteatowel.co.uk

[everybodypuuuullllll]

ReSisters are doing merch: t-shirts & bags etc, so the profits fund feminist actions:

shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/resisters-united

[everybodypuuuullllll]

I've got two feminists to get presents for in my family, the women who indoctrinated introduced me to feminism in the first place (my DM) and a small feminist-in-the-making - 7yo DD.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

[JumpJockey]

I happen to know that Cambridge University Library is selling badges and tote bags based on the Behave Badly badge that Lisa Jardine gave to her colleagues and students. The badges are only about 50p I think, happy to send some if anyone wants to DM me. www.cam.ac.uk/TheRisingTide

[VinandVigour]

I gave these to friends, and DD last year. They are rather lovelier than this picture shows. My DH came home with one for me first of all and I loved it so much I sent him back for several more. I don’t think he got them from the V&A, as they were a little cheaper than that.

[VinandVigour]

jump I love those badges!

[teawamutu]

Big presents: any of Jess De Wahls' incredible embroideries - and there are patches and badges for stocking fillers.

[MrsSnippyPants]

Oh, great idea for a thread! Will get my thinking cap on.
My DGD is only two, so she will get Premium Bonds for a start (as every woman should have her own money).
My DSD will definitely approve of a ReSisters hoodie

[Hullabalooo]

This is a great thread!

I'm definitely interested in this. As a GC (slightly undercover but coming out) woman, I'm enthusiastic about the Resisters United stuff. OP do you know what the sizing is like on the t-shirts and hoodies?

Also, I know that the Fawcett Society have this collaboration with the jewellery designers Tatty Devine which are lovely (although FS have been a bit hopeless recently with their lack of support of actual women)

fawcettsocietyshop.com/collections/tatty-devine-x-fawcett-society?gclid=CjwKCAiA8K7uBRBBEiwACOm4d-I4AUbLJTWTq7dxbn66hikHm-jaG52DPIeOb600Jak2FdmLUiVnTBoC9VAQAvD_BwE

Anything for nurturing feminism in boys?

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

For Primary aged girls- the Great women books by Kate Pankhurst. We have Great Women who Changed History and Great women who worked Wonders

www.amazon.co.uk/Fantastically-Great-Women-Made-History/dp/1408878909/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=great%20women%20who%20changed%20the%20world&sprefix=great%20wom&qid=1573718388&sr=8-2&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Thenagainmaybenot]

I would suggest the Lego Women of NASA set. Not sure if it is still available new but I have seen some second hand.

For Lego fans I would also recommend buying lots of plain heads and ‘girls’ hairstyles because lots of Lego sets aren’t a 50 50 sex balance. Of course you can play that a ‘man’s’ hairstyle is a woman but when arguing with a 4yr oId like to pick my battles!

Would also recommend the ‘who has what’ body book for young children (2-7?) - get the biological facts straight as early as possible.

Also play silks - easy for imaginative play and can easily be made into skirts (which my boys and girls want to do) without boys automatically thinking it is girly when they open the present

[Hullabalooo]

This got me thinking about other things for me presents. I've been having a gander at what else is online and this turned up:

thespark.company/products/womens-rights-feminist-t-shirt?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUYZKiSmcfmtInXnuxGzZnP9nKII0ub1dHliMNOe-AAtwZN1RP9Y3J0aApq1EALw_wcB

And this cool Mind the Gender Pay Gap bag using Tube logo:
www.etsy.com/uk/listing/589514221/feminist-screen-print-bag-gift?gpla=1&gao=1&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_MindTheGenderPayGap_sfc_osa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_custom1=0&utm_content=16965116&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUY9LuSsgppcWmn7PEQ3AbVY_fKyZHkr1459OSA5_Op101z17nDw4lkaAv7_EALw_wcB

[Chugchugtraintrain]

For younger girls (although my 9 year old still dips in and out) goodnight stories for rebel girls is good. Each page is a short story about an influential woman, from artists, scientists, historical figures, all sorts. Link to goodnight stories for rebel girls 2- www.hive.co.uk/Product/Elena-Favilli/Good-Night-Stories-for-Rebel-Girls-2/21847886

Also a mighty girl has lots of suggestions - www.amightygirl.com/catalogsearch/result?q=femminisim

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

I'm choosing between these for DD...

[EmpressLesbianInChair]

For younger girls (although my 9 year old still dips in and out) goodnight stories for rebel girls is good. Each page is a short story about an influential woman, from artists, scientists, historical figures, all sorts.

Just avoid the story about the boy who wins the right to use girls' toilets because he likes pink dresses...

I think to a large extent it depends on the feminist. I can't even say 'gender' without putting it in scare quotes and I think 'gender equality' is an oxymoron so I wouldn't go for anything with that word on it. Nor would I want to give the Fawcett Society my money, even if the jewellery is lovely!

Anything from ReSisters, Standing for Women, Fair Play for Women, the Wild Womyn Workshop on Etsy, or Leeds Spinners on Redbubble, I'd say.

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

Not Christmas as I've already got them, but these earrings were my best present this year...

[Hullabalooo]

Love those earrings @webuiltthiscityonsexistroles

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

They're epic aren't they? From Etsy, lots of great feminist ones (I'm not the seller I promise)

[JumpJockey]

My BF gave me a great stress ball a few years ago that says "The Patriarchy" and the instruction "keep on squashing..."

[artisanparsnips]

I have chosen one of my Christmas presents already. This is it.

[everybodypuuuullllll]

OP do you know what the sizing is like on the t-shirts and hoodies?

The ReSisters shop is on Spreadshirt so they use different suppliers for different items I think.

I'm on the large side these days, I looked at the sizing charts and reviews of the "women's" cut items, and I didn't think any of them would fit me! e.g. I saw a review saying the women's 2XL was about a 14, for one of the tshirts styles which is too small for me.

So I looked at the "men's" and ordered a "men's" cut 2XL tshirt. They did give measurements of all the items but I was too busy to actually measure one of my tshirts so keeping my fingers crossed I guessed OK!

[nocluewhattodoo]

Art Girls Rising has loads of great tshirt s with the names of 5 female artists on them. A donation from the sale goes to a women's charity too. I'm planning on getting a few more

[everybodypuuuullllll]

As a GC (slightly undercover but coming out) woman, I'm enthusiastic about the Resisters United stuff

I like that some of the ReSisters designs have the name, but some don't, so they're a bit more undercover, while still being obvious to those in the know!

I especially love the Leeds design shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/resisters-united/leeds+resisters

[everybodypuuuullllll]

Anything for nurturing feminism in boys?

What age boys?

I reckon it's important for boys to have books etc with girls/women as the protagonist, just as much as it is for girls.

Given that books, films, TV programs etc with female protagonist are often seen as "for girls" whereas male protagonists are often presented as the default, if boys are never given "girls things" then it could be possible for boys can grow up to adulthood without ever having been exposed to storytelling with women as the lead, and therefore never having to consider that women have an internal life with actual thoughts and feelings! Or to put themselves in our shoes and empathise with us. That can't be healthy for any of us, surely?!

I try to give my DS plenty of books, films etc with women as the protagonist, as a starting point.

We loved The Accidental Pirate by Clare Fayers when DS was 9 or 10, for example. www.amazon.co.uk/Voyage-Magical-North-Accidental-Pirates/dp/1447290607?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Here's the blurb:

Twelve-year-old Brine Seaborne is a girl with a past . . . if only she could remember what it is. Found alone in a rowboat as a child, clutching a shard of the rare starshell needed for spell-casting, she's spent every day since housekeeping for an irritable magician and his obnoxious apprentice, Peter.

But everything changes when Brine and Peter accidentally break the magician's starshell and need to flee the island. Lost at sea, they blunder into the path of the legendary pirate ship the Onion. Before you can say 'pieces of eight,' they're up to their necks in the pirates' quest to find Magical North, a place so shrouded in secrets and myth that most people don't even think it exists.

If Brine is lucky, she may find out who her parents are and why they sent her out to sea. And if she's unlucky, everyone on the ship will be eaten by sea monsters.

It really could go either way.*

There's a second book in the series out now too I think.