Daily Feminism

I was thinking today about the different ways in which we bring our commitment to feminism to bear on our daily lives. While our daily feminist acts may not seem like much, they are one effective way to combat daily misogyny and sexism. In an effort to become more aware of my actions and strive to lead a more feminist life, I came up with a list of feminist things I strive do in my daily life and those things that I want to stop altogether.

Things I strive to do more consistently:

• Support the women around me in the decisions they make, honoring their
ability as adults to govern their own lives
• Call attention to sexism when I see it
• Dispel misconceptions about feminism
• Unapologetically and publicly call myself a feminist
• Complement and honor women friends for their all of their accomplishments
(musical, academic, athletic, etc) rather than just focusing on their
successes in relationships
• Appreciating and acknowledging when men do these things too (which we should
expect, but which also so often does not happen)
• Recognizing male allies and talking with them about how they can work with
other men
• Recognizing and counteracting situations that are anti-feminist
• Giving myself time and space for self-discovery, however brief
• Acknowledging the strength, power and importance of women’s experiences,
including my own

Things I want to stop altogether:

• Apologizing for things I shouldn’t (my own assertiveness, other’s mistakes or
rudeness, taking up space)
• Engaging in conversations that center completely around romantic relationships
• Gossip
• Doubting myself and my abilities

What feminist acts are you striving to do more of? What acts are you working toward eliminating from your life?