Daily acts of feminism - a thread for ideas

[teawamutu]

Pinched the idea shamelessly from another thread after an hour of speechless rage reading the papers and Twatter. I need to DO something.

I pledge to do something positive every day to stand up for women. Deeds not words.

Today was taken care of for me - a subscription to The Radical Notion for Mother's Day. I'm also going to fill out the VAWG consultation.

Thought might be good to share anything else we come across here, so anyone in need of ideas could check?

Over the weekend I re-arranged my bookshelves in my home office so only the spines of books by women are visible. I sit in front of these shelves for online meetings.

Over the weekend I called out my hideous mother on her 'not all men', 'women are violent too' bullshit.

Today I did an online meeting wearing a jumper which says 'Radical Feminist' in pink capital letters.

Although that Suffragette mask is tempting

I caved. It's on its way

Could we develop some template notes for MPs and councillors as a starting point for once we're out of lockdown and have less time?

Reading more. I've started Invisible Women. Have the next edition of the Radical Notion too.

Re the lazy blue/pink It's A Boy/Girl! congratulations cards- this has been a pet hate of mine for years. I recommend looking in the neutral "no message inside" section for some of the ones with nice wildlife photography for an image of a cute baby animal (penguins and giraffes seem popular). The card is then reproduction-themed. I personally find baby animals way more appealing than the human version (I don't write this inside New Baby cards).

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

Following a recommendation from another MNer last week I got a new face mask in suffragette colours and a set of suffragette button badges from Radical Tea Towel.

The masks are designed and manufactured in the uk and £1 for every one sold is donated to food banks. The quality is lovely and they arrived next day.

I've a code for free delivery if anybody wants to use it -

FREERAD

Thanks for that. I'll put in an order ASAP

I personally find baby animals way more appealing than the human version (I don't write this inside New Baby cards).

A small thing but I bought my husband a book by a female author. I thought he’d like it and then I thought he might not be keen on a female author and then I realised how ridiculous that is.

@timeisnotaline

A small thing but I bought my husband a book by a female author. I thought he’d like it and then I thought he might not be keen on a female author and then I realised how ridiculous that is.

I did exactly that at Christmas, after having exactly the same thoughts. Then we realised that he'd bought it for himself anyway and enjoyed it . I don't know why it even crossed my mind that he might not like it because of a female author but I have firmly put those thoughts out of my head forever.

He likes detective-y sort of books so I might get him one of JKs grown up books (can't remember the name atm)

Which site is best for the suffragette face masks please? Lots coming up when I search but best to get the funds to the right place. Thank you.

OP the idea for templates is a great one. I'm not articulate at all and would find this very helpful.

I found it by looking for radical tea towels, Bowed

Yes, use the code I posted upthread for free p and p.

thinking was it yourself who recommended the site last week? Thanks if it was

@awesomekillick

When meeting a man - any man you don't know, so shopkeeper, zoom call, delivery driver, old bloke outside Boots - try not to smile and "be nice". It's bloody hard. But I became aware of how much effort I put into smiling and being nice just in a "I'm a nice woman" way, so I'm trying hard not to do it because it's yet another aspect of the socialisation of women. I'm well into my 50s. It feels so hostile not to smile - but men manage to do it all the time!

I love this. I try so hard to do this but my 'be a nice girl' socialisation is so hard-wired.

@sashh

Can someone help me with how to approach a school about slut shaming around uniform. I don't need to spell it out I don't think...you know the 'your skirt is too short' type comments.

I had a student spend a day in isolation because her uniform was, "too sexual" a male teacher was so embarrassed he got a female teacher to say this to the student and issue the sanction.

The student had added over the knee socks to her uniform.

I'm supply and my contract was finishing so although I was furious the student didn't want me to take up her cause, I did however let the head know, "If a girl puts socks on and her uniform becomes 'too sexual' then there is something wrong with the uniform or there is something wrong with the teacher, there is nothing wrong with the child".

I may also have had quite a long conversation with the head where I pointed out the sexism in the school, he started by saying I was insulting him, I said it wasn't him it was the school eg that girls have curves and that means their trousers will be tighter than boys, if you look at a bunch of squaddies they are all in clothing that fits but the females trousers look tight over the bum.

And the posters around the school eg one for sport where the pics and 'encouraging words' for females were about watching sport and the ones from men were about taking part, this also included a quote from Lance Armstrong.

This was a frank discussion but I can also do the, I'm sure this is not intentional but and please don't be upset ...'

I sent that kind of email to the sports co ordinator at an FE college, he wrote a news letter every month, I gently pointed out that the language used about the men's team that they had 'battled through to the quarter finals and were looking to be in the final' but the 'girls' team' had been disappointed to not make it to the final. I pointed out they had both got to the same stage in the competition.

Oh and a poster put up advertising a boxing class for exercise, had photos of three men, even though the poster's small print said it had both men's and women's classes, I asked if he had considered a photo Nicola Adams, who at the time had just become and will always be the first Women gold medalist in boxing?

He actually sent a lovely reply saying he hadn't considered the points but could see them now.

This is brilliant. That is such good work. Did the Head see your point of view in the end? Did anyone change their behaviour as a result? I think we need follow ups too.

Just wrote to my MP to raise points about:

1. Ensuring gender isn't included in the definition of misogyny per that twit Stella Creasy
2. Ensuring SEX, not gender, is the basis for women's provision.
3. Looking carefully at the conversion therapy ban to make sure therapeutic support for dysphoric children isn't outlawed.

Also found this rather good list of questions on Twitter which I will be emailing to all my local election candidates: mobile.twitter.com/WilfredsGang/status/1371851112865742850

I've beaten my head on the wall in trying to get somebody, anybody, in the entire Domestic Abuse movement to accept that the crucial thing to define it, is it happens inside the place a woman lives (especially if she can't simply escape by going elsewhere)

A woman M.P. brought Parliament to tears telling about her boyfriend coercing her, so that is Domestic Abuse.
Women of all ages, not just young; women who don't qualify to apply for council housing and who cannot buy or rent, (even if they are not immigrants) scared women, women with no alternative, stalked women, escaping women, disabled women of all ages, may live in house shares, sofa surf or be in institutions. They can't do anything but accept every kind of abuse, within the place they live, because they have nowhere to go and they are excluded from the Domestic Abuse definition, due to having the 'incorrect abusers'

Given the stramash in the Green Party where the word female must now be inclusive, to include people of the opposite sex, I've decided enough is enough. There is no space between trans and women and all transwomen are members of the male sex.

@Shizuku

Wear a badge like this to show that your feminism is inclusive.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

The irony of clapping a poster who has had posts and threads removed for racism and homophobia.
You do you.

@theInebriati is that what it is? Thought it some someone banging their head against a wall. Figures.

Inclusive of what ? If inclusive of people of the male sex then you are no feminist.

That badge isn't inclusive of women and girls who've suffered sexual assault nor is it inclusive of women and girls who for cultural and religious reasons need single sex spaces.

It's inclusive of males; but that's not feminism.

sashh that's a great post. I'm going to concentrate on small actions as well as donating.

@Thelnebriati

The irony of clapping a poster who has had posts and threads removed for racism and homophobia. You do you.

And posters who come to FWR, to a thread where many are naming many everyday feminist acts purely to suggest an action which centres biological men.

Goading, that's all.

This thread is a lovely place. Don't give these posters oxygen.