How do I become a feminist activist?

[Springheeled]

Getting increasingly frustrated with the sexism all around and in particular violence against women and girls. But what do you do, where do you go and who do you see about doing something about it? Since leaving university many moons ago it's not especially obvious. Do you join a political party? Write letters? Chain yourself to something? Go on the internet? And then what sort of feminist do you have to be? I just want a change in the culture and law. I want men to want that too. So....?

Start by looking at the groups already out there and see if there's one you want to join. If you spot a gap in the 'market' and find a specific issue that isn't already being tackled, come back here and ask for help!

Do you just google? I know there's a local 1 billion rising event but that's only once a year

I'm not British, but I understand the UK has a number of large and very active feminist activist groups.

UK Feminista is the biggest, I think. It's a mainstream organisation that seems to tackle a wide range of issues, from government cuts to sexism in schools.

ukfeminista.org.uk/

If you're in the London area and after something a bit more radical, there is the London Feminist Network, which was founded by the amazing Finn MacKay.

londonfeministnetwork.org.uk/

www.opendemocracy.net/5050/finn-mackay/feminism-we-are-not-calling-for-equal-inequality

Thanks very much for those suggestions and links, really useful.

As a male round here, I'd very strongly urge that a big step forward for womens rights is to engage males in your life, be it in RL or beyond. Being exclusively 'angry and frustrated' has a short shelf life in terms of effectiveness.
fwiw I'd also sign up to the Labour Party, and be an active member. It isn't the panacea BUT when it comes to a power shift in terms of legislation and promotion of womens rights it's the best we have. For membership it's about £3 per month. To vote Labour it's free.
Get on twitter or any other web based initiative for support and ideas to change opinions into actual action, rather than typing about it all of the time.
Ultimately though I suspect men are the lever, not women. That's where the educative bit lies.

I second WhentheRed's suggestion. Volunteering with a domestic violence organization is a good place to start.

There are lots of feminist groups and campaigns where I live. Lots of areas have feminist book groups, there are a few local radical feminist groups as well. Google your area and feminism, and see what comes up.

Forget about engaging with men. I think for your first feminist activism you will get a lot more out of it, if you get involved in women only feminist groups/campaigns.

Also a lot of local areas have a feminist facebook group. If you join your relevant one, you will find out what is happening locally.

Pans - The Labour Party has a bloody poor record in addressing women's rights. Join if you want to spend your life banging your head against a brick wall.

I can't join the Labour Party because I'm a socialist. I think men do need to be engaged. First up though I just want to connect. I feel awkward with twitter. I will keep googling around and see if there's a local group. I've raised money for women's aid before but sort of in isolation. These are really helpful suggestions.

Left Unity is a new socialist party which also says it is a feminist party. Depends what your local branch is like though. But might suit you.

I seem to remember that in my childhood there was so much more in the culture that was feminist. I'm talking 80s... It just seemed to be much more on the radar and in the discourse I picked up on from the media. What changed? Was it postfeminism? New lad?

I'm in the people's assembly but no exact feminist focus there, broader anti coalition agenda.

Feminism has been in retreat. But it is very slowly building up again.

I would do your best to engage with some real life groups- I know many people who are almost exclusively "active" on the internet, and it seems to bog them down in ideological minutiae and pointless twitter/Facebook comment thread fights.

I read somewhere recently that "the most radical act you can do as a feminist is to love women". That makes sense to me.

Local feminist facebook groups though can be a great way of finding real life groups.

Pans the OP said she was 'frustrated' with ubiquitous nature of sexism, and not 'frustrated and angry', and at no point suggested she wasn't engaged with males in RL.

On the contrary, I think supporting women in RL is a practical way to get started - another poster suggested contacting a local women's shelter, where perhaps volunteer or support work might make you feel like you are contributing to improving the conditions of another woman's life.

Also challenging sexism in everyday situations, highlighting the dreadful gender assumptions we hear all the time about boys and girls. Talking to adolescent girls and boys frankly and openly about gender issues. Encouraging your DC's school(s) to develop effective PSHE about consent / abuse in relationships / body image & self esteem / career planning & ideas.

You don't have to be a given 'sort of feminist' - there's a wide variety of opinions and diversity, and a range of activities you can undertake depending on your resources and skills, which all contribute to the debate and the push to improve women's and girls' lives.

Yes, here's where I read it.

Grennie, yes, that is true. Too many people get so sucked into internet spats though, that focussing their energies online becomes really counter-productive.

Yes, grennie re the Labour Party I said it wasn't a panacea. As a sort of repudiation, 'don't join if you like to hit your head against a wall but feel good about hitting your head against a wall for the foreseeable future because that's what you like to do'.

Yes lego I'm not a separatist, although I do think there are many things men just don't 'get'.
I really wish I had time to volunteer but just don't :( I mean, really don't, though I wish I did and I wish that various helplines could run 24/7 instead of just some nights of the week.
I think the frustrated comes from the powerlessness of just seeing things get worse rather than better and thinking you can only change things from 'above'- eg pressurise the political parties, get the media to reflect issues better. I wish I had a writing talent or something, anything. But then real change always comes from below I think, so it's about numbers and voices.
Anyway, so far! I joined the local Facebook group. It's a start!

Ah right BOUEFSter i have just read that link. The 'cool girl feminist' is the one I reckon appeared sometime while I was at university... She's hopeless!

greenie "forget about engaging with men". Elementary, self-concerned feminist-industry mistake. Unless you have a magic wand or a really really strong economic/social leverage then forget it. Engaging with males is essential.

Yeah but how to engage with men on your own terms?

Sure, Pan. But it would be a great priority to join up with like-minded women and share experiences and solidarity.

Re 'engaging with men', I think that it's a positive thing to point out double-standards etc, and strive for equality in your relationships with them. The most urgent thing I would say in respect of that, though, is being conscious of what messages you transmit to your sons, if you have them.