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?

What lovely ideas! I especially like the slate idea.

@Thenagainmaybetheydont

Join decision making groups - or talk to people who are on them:

become a school governor - they will make decisions about sleeping on residential trips, RSE, etc
join your workplace womens/diversity group - put your point of view across
become a parish councillor - they make decisions on planning and open spaces (so possibly leisure centre plans etc)

This is such a good point. Be part of the decision making process!

@persistentwoman

Some great ideas here. A quick suggestion - try not to engage with people using threads on FWR as an opportunity to trash women, dead or alive. Huge progress is being made with women re engaging with feminism and some people are determined to try to sabotage this.

What was it that Gandhi said? First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win. We're definitely in the attack phase now. There appears to be a war on women, which we will win!

news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1084782

Just seen this on twitter; another worthy cause for women.

Thank you OP. I'm enjoying reading some great and positive ways for us to channel our energies ... what we have left at least! I've seen many of you on various threads this week debating with the NAMALT brigade and I think those of you who have suggested giving them less oxygen is a good idea. I've come to the conclusion that many don't actually wish to engage and frankly, it's a waste of energy we could channel elsewhere. Saying that I take the bait every bloody time and don't learn my lesson and I'm sure some numpty will make me see red soon, hey ho.

I've completed the two consultations upthread and messaged them to other women I know. I'm going to buy Invisible Women in a moment and I've signed up to the glowsswitch newsletter too. I went for a walk by myself last night at 6pm with my phone torch as a candle ... didn't see any other sisters out but I knew many were there in spirit.

I'm going to read this thread for lots more ideas but thank you everyone as I'm actually feeling a bit lighter already.

Thanks for the book recommendations, all!
I'm definitely going on a contributing spree this evening too.

out of interest where do you get your ribbons from?

an idea on this thread is to write to your local council about women's refuges losing funding and it better not happen here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4178034-New-Women-s-Aid-CEO-sounds-sensible

@FindTheTruth

out of interest where do you get your ribbons from?

I couldn't get anything local to me so had to go with Amazon. If you search 'Double Faced Satin Ribbon 16mm width- 25 Meters' or similar, you'll see the stuff I use.

Thanks Wait.

I've seen many of you on various threads this week debating with the NAMALT brigade and I think those of you who have suggested giving them less oxygen is a good idea. I've come to the conclusion that many don't actually wish to engage and frankly, it's a waste of energy we could channel elsewhere.--

Very true. In fact one of my resolutions is to stop being pulled into 'sex is a spectrum because intersex' on Twatter.

Rather than get into the reasons sex isn't a bloody spectrum, the answer is actually 'this has nothing at all to do with biologically male people who wish they were the other sex'.

Thanks for the thread. I’ve ordered My Body is Me from the transgender trend website. Happy to buy from there myself but disappointed it wasn’t available on Amazon/Wordery/Abe as the wider public are not going to stumble across it. Hmm...going to check now if it’s available from the library.

@MouseTheDog

Thanks for the thread. I’ve ordered My Body is Me from the transgender trend website. Happy to buy from there myself but disappointed it wasn’t available on Amazon/Wordery/Abe as the wider public are not going to stumble across it. Hmm...going to check now if it’s available from the library.

It isn’t

Not on Hive either MouseTheDog women are being censored

Rachel Rooney has taken so much unjustifiable abuse over a book that simply tells kids they should love their bodies. Things are so upside down.

I bought “Why Women are blamed for everything” for me, and the Victim Focus kids colouring book for work. I’m going to buy Invisible Women next.

I’ve donated again to Jean Hatchet’s ride for murdered women and will find another suitable women’s charity for next, any suggestions?

I think I need a new TShirt. I have an AHF one, but I fancy something from Wild Womyns Workshop next. I really fancy getting DD something suffragette based as well, so would love any recommendations.

I already challenge any use of gender instead of sex, and chastise anyone who calls me Cis. Think I’ll start making it clearer why.

The slates are lovely. The (inappropriate) levels of outrage they have generated from the MPs whose offices they were left outside has been something to behold.

Yes, the same MP's don't seem to have experienced the same level of 'terror' when the yes and no stickers were all over the place in 2014. It's amazing how scary a couple of stickers, ribbon and a slate can be really. There's a very amusing response called 'hateful haberdashery' which makes me laugh whenever I think about it.

Thank you OP for starting this lovely thread.

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!

@Happinessisawarmcervix

Start playing Patriarchy Chicken.

The rules are simple - stop moving aside for men. You probably don’t even realise you’re doing it. Pavements, footpaths, supermarket aisles.

Be prepared for them to get very, very angry when you don’t immediately clear a path for The Mighty Penis.

“I suppose I’ll move then” muttered the male jogger when I didn’t.

“One of us has to, might as well be you.”

But he clearly expected me to clear the way for him.

I used to do this pre-COVID and social distancing. Must start again.

Good fun when swimming, too. They hate it 😁

@WarriorN

What lovely ideas! I especially like the slate idea.

Pebbles could work if enough room to write on too?

Great idea, today I have done some digging, and joined some GC social media closed groups.

What's digging?

Giving money and support to good causes.