9 Ways To Join The Feminist Movement

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EASY-PEASY WAYS TO HELP A GENERATION OF PEOPLE OUT

Feminism is a verb and not a noun. It's also something that is constantly evolving and changing, and something that looks different everyday. I thought it was important to share how to actually help this big feminist wheel keep on turning (I feel a Tina Turner song coming on), because it's all well and good giving yourself the title of 'Feminist' or chucking it in your Instagram bio (along with a million other random things including #BeyonceIsBae), but like I said, it's a verb and not a noun. If you want to join the football team and be the star player, you might actually have to kick the ball around a bit.

Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of reading journalist and writer Dolly Alderton's, wonderful book Everything I Know About Love. A charming, interesting and very real book that was filled with insightful moral messages and lessons to be learnt. It wasn't your average (rather cheesy) self-help book let me put it that way. Anyway, in the book Dolly addresses a number of situations (mostly including waxing or romantic relationships), where she became frustrated at herself as she isn't 'acting like a real feminist.' Not only has the book taught me a lot on love, friendships and house plants, it also made me realise that there are so many layers to feminism. There's the everyday feminism in the way we chose to speak to one another and address things in a politically correct manner or sharing whatever Jameela Jamil posts on Instagram (it's all good). There's the feminism of books and podcasts that educate and guide and then on top of all of this is the actual feminist movement (or fourth-wave of feminism if you like), itself and everything it stands for along with the big, and slightly scary, things like marches and petitions and letters to politicians.

Like I said, feminism is a verb and not a not. Here's how to get your verb on. School is in session.

EDUCATE
Read - There are a million and one incredible books out there that discuss feminism, it's history, incredible women who have shaped it's past and future and more. If reading something quite heavy explicitly feminist sounds like a scary way to start, read something that's written from a feminist's perspective or shown through a feminist lens. As always, my personal favourite feminist read (and one of my all time favourite books) is Feminists Don't Wear Pink and Other Lies, curated by the incredible Scarlett Curtis and featuring essay's written by all your favourite feminist celebrities. Read the stories of feminists of every gender.

Watch - Watch news channels and TV programmes that promote the stories that need to be heard (please, for the love of sanity, don't read tabloids that are constantly attempting to ruin feminism, women and people's reputations). Watch films with strong feminist leads or that have been created by female directors and producers. Watch and observe how the world perceives not only feminists but people of every background - learn of the stigma's around everything from mental health to 'women of a certain age', you'll get pretty mad and see why feminism is needed.

Listen - Listen to podcasts created by amazing people who are sharing stories that need to be heard (POST). Listen to music produced by women who have a tiny chance of making it 'big' as a DJ or producer. Listen to the people around you, listen about how they speak about women or celebrities - are they talking about them with the kindness and respect virtually every human deserves?

ACT
Walk - Walk with your fellow feminists and stand with them. Whether you walk down a street with posters in your hands and war paint on your cheeks, or whether you walk to a chemistry class with the person who was just called a 'slag' - walk with them. Walk in the footsteps of the feminists before us and try walking in the shoes of the people who need this movement the most. Because I can talk about feminism all I want, but I have more opportunities in a lifetime than some girls will see for their gender in an entire generation. People of all genders need this movement.

Sign - Sign petitions, sign letters, sign posters. Sign your calm and well-spoken feminist charm in the comments section of one of Mike Pence's Instagram posts. Sign your messages of love to your friends off with a puppy gif.

Support - Support you friends and family and fellow feminists any way you can. You don't have to give hundreds of pounds (or your respective currency :). You can support them with a follow, a like, a re-tweet, a hug, a smile, a purchase, a t-shirt, an Instagram bio. You can support them by sharing the message, listening to the podcast, signing up to the mailing address, staying informed, get your brother to join he cause - your sister and your Uncle Jeff.



SHARE
Follow - People who are breaking barriers and sharing stories need your follow more than those with bank balances that look longer than phone numbers. Follow the website that's keeping you informed, follow the book club that promotes feminist pieces, follow the guy who teaches his nephew it's fun to play with makeup because it isn't just for girls. Follow the movement that is working to give women the same rights as everyone else and the movement that is striving for people of all genders to come together and work as equals to becomes equals.

Talk - Talk to every person you know about what you learn and what you want to learn. Have a chat with your Mum and best mate and dog. You might have realised all of these methods link together quite nicely and strangely enough all of that reading, listening and watching you've been doing are all things you can talk about in order to support the movement.

Post - Post everything you've learnt and everything you've shared and talked about. Social media is one of the biggest tools we have, you can have five followers or fifty-thousand followers - USE IT.

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There you go everyone, those are nine easy-peasy ways to join a movement that is truly aiming to improve all lives for people of all genders. Have a cracking day you fab feminist. What is a book that's inspired you recently? What's your favourite way to show love?

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Lots of love,
Grace
xox

(also I look seriously moody in this last picture, apologies)