Last Saturday, between 3.3 million and 4.6 million people around the world participated in the Women’s Marches. This is possibly the largest day of demonstration in US history.
Honestly, the sheer number of people willing to demonstrate their commitment to women’s rights astounds me. I feel incredibly encouraged by the success of last weekend. I didn’t march for unimportant reasons, but I’m proud of all my friends and family members who did so.
Whether or not you marched, whether or not you support the Women’s March, if you support women’s rights, I have one question for you.
What next?
What is your next course of action?
Will you start calling your senators and representatives every week?
Will you donate to nonprofit organizations that do feminist work?
Are you going to show up at the next #BlackLivesMatter protest? What about a LGBTQ+ protest?
Joining the Women’s March is an awesome jump into feminist activism. But we cannot stop there.
I know how overwhelming it feels to navigate all your options. I’ve read many reactions on Facebook to the Women’s March, and I’ve sorted those reactions accordingly into action steps. Find the group that best matches your description. Pick from the suggested action steps.
I’m a white woman who marched. I’m new to feminism.
Welcome to feminism! The journey to gender equality is long and messy, and you can choose from many paths to work your way there. Here are a few ideas to stay involved:
Educate yourself:
What do you know? What do you still need to learn? Here are a few suggestions on how to start learning about feminism.
- Read through my Feminism 101 posts, all of which include links to additional resources.
- Prepare to feel uncomfortable. Learn how to navigate intersectional conversations.
- Join an online feminist community. I recommend the subreddit FemmeThoughts.
- Listen to women of color (WOC). Accept their experiences as valid. Acknowledge they face both racism and sexism, which also means their experiences with sexism will look differently than your own. Flight & Scarlet is a great blog to start.
Donate to feminist nonprofits:
What’s your main feminist concern? Find a nonprofit for it. Look it up on Charity Watch or Charity Navigator, although those websites might not rate all small nonprofits or global nonprofits. Here are a few ideas to get started.
- Planned Parenthood
- R.A.I.N.N.
- Your local rape crisis center or women’s shelter
- Black Women’s Blueprint
Get involved locally:
- Sign up for a weekly action list of ways to contact your politicians and topics to share with them.
- Attend a town hall meeting, especially if your US senator or representative will be there.
- Volunteer. Check out Volunteer Match to find a suitable nonprofit in your area.
Signal-boost online:
Yes, online activism still matters. I called my senator the other day. Then I posted about it to Facebook. Multiple people then called their senators/representatives and posted about it to Facebook.
Fact-check what you post before tweeting or sharing to Facebook. Yes, liberals fall for fake news too. Don’t become part of the problem. I like to verify a story with three separate sources before I share the link with the most detailed (and best-cited) information.
I post almost everything publicly. You have my blanket permission to share my words with credit. However, if your Facebook friend writes something particularly striking, ask for permission before you share it. If she only shares it with friends, you will need permission to copy and paste the text into a new post if you want your friends to see it.
Whenever possible, amplify the voices of marginalized people over privileged people. A woman’s article on feminism has more merit than a man’s article. A black queer person’s article on hate crimes has more merit than a straight white person’s article.
Learn why other feminists criticized the Women’s March:
Look, I totally get why you’re so excited about the Women’s March. Over 3 million people! Demonstrating for gender equality! Woo!
But there were some real problems worthy of criticism. Don’t take the criticism personally. Use it as an opportunity to learn and to grow.
Also, remember that feminists are not a monolith. That includes groups within feminism. The following links are helpful perspectives, but not all intersectional feminists agree with all criticisms of the Women’s March.
The Women’s March on Pittsburgh, and Why Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional
How the Women’s March’s “genital-based” feminism isolated the transgender community
The Women’s March on Washington: A Lesson in Intersectional Failures
Doubts about inclusive feminism have little to do with the Women’s March. They’re rooted in history.
Woman in Viral Photo From Women’s March to White Female Allies: ‘Listen to a Black Woman’
I’m a pro-life feminist offended by the Women’s March.
So… let’s discuss whether or not you’re actually a feminist. I wrote the following as a comment on Sarah Bessey’s Facebook page.
I’m fine with pro-life feminists who channel their beliefs into better access to contraception, better sex education, more support for single and/or low-income mothers, more support for children with disabilities, etc.
I’m fine with pro-life feminists who morally oppose abortion without wanting to make it illegal.
But a pro-life feminist who just wants to make abortion illegal is not a feminist. Reproductive choice is possibly the greatest right women need in order to control our own lives. And if that’s not something a woman considers necessary, she has a lot of unchecked privilege.
Do you agree with me? Great, keep calling yourself a pro-life feminist and skip ahead to your action steps.
Do you disagree with me? Do you think it’s fine and dandy to identify as a feminist while trying to make abortion illegal? Then I have some reading assignments for you.
The Pope, Pregnant Children, and Violence Against Girls and Women
U.N. Declares Abortion Rights Are Human Rights, Promising To Support Reproductive Rights Worldwide
Safe and Legal Abortion is a Woman’s Human Right
Can you be a “pro-life feminist”? The Women’s March on Washington offered some insights.
Educate Yourself:
Pro-life feminists were welcome to attend the Women’s March. Anti-choice groups were not allowed to be sponsors of the Women’s March. These are two very different things.
Furthermore, take a look at the website for New Wave Feminists. Do you see any calls for comprehensive sexual education? Where’s the information on contraception? I skimmed through their blog as well, and the posts I read didn’t contribute anything positive to feminism. The one good thing I found is the idea for an app to help women find free and low-cost health services. That’s a great idea, and I hope it comes to fruition.
The Women’s March initially included New Wave Feminists as sponsors, but understandably removed them. Reproductive rights are critical to feminism. Anti-choice women should not sponsor a movement with legitimate concerns about reproductive rights.
President Donald Trump and Congress have already started to attack reproductive rights.
- Trump Didn’t Just Reinstate the Global Gag Rule. He Massively Expanded It.
- This rule will affect $9.5 billion in U.S. foreign aid. Any foreign NGO that mentions abortion will not receive any global health funding.
- The House Just Handed a Big Win to the Anti-Abortion Movement
- This would prevent health insurance companies from offering abortion coverage. That means that women cannot use their own money to buy a private health insurance plan with abortion coverage.
Donate to feminist resources:
I’ve put together a short list of organizations teaching comprehensive sexual education. Knowledge can reduce unwanted pregnancies. Reducing unwanted pregnancies reduces abortion.
- Scarleteen
- Sexplanations
- Essential Access Health (California-based, but they do great work)
Or you could donate to any program in your community helping single/low-income mothers.
I didn’t march. American women are whining. Women in other countries have real problems.
Oh, sweetie.
Privilege means not recognizing a problem exists because it doesn’t affect you personally.
I highly encourage you to keep reading.
Educate yourself:
- Medical gender bias continues to be a problem in the United States. Ten years ago, I learned that heart attacks can present different symptoms for women than for men. Why don’t all doctors know this too? From a 2013 article on women’s heart disease, “Women under 50 years old who have a heart attack related to heart disease are twice as likely as men to die.” Women receive lifesaving medications and therapies less often than men do. Women also wait longer to receive treatment. Medical gender bias poses a greater problem than just treatment for heart disease. Gender bias exists in the ER. Doctors also routinely dismiss women’s physical pain as mental illness.
- Convicted child molester Joseph Presley received a suspended sentence of only 30 days in a local jail. The prosecuting attorney recommended 7-8 years. This is rape culture.
- Rapist Brock Turner only received a six-month sentence for raping an unconscious woman. Brock Turner was convicted of rape, with a recommended sentence of six years, but the judge only gave him six months. Again, rape culture.
- More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Source
- About 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
- Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives, and approximately 1 in 21 men (4.8%) reported that they were made to penetrate someone else during their lifetime.
But please. Tell me again that American women have zero problems.
Donate to international organizations:
So. You genuinely opposed the Women’s March because women in other countries face real misogyny. Let’s pretend I believe you.
Do something about it.
Educate yourself some more:
Feminists already exist in other countries. They don’t necessarily need a bunch of white women swooping in to save them. Take the time to read what they have to say.
Start here: Trump’s Global Gag Rule On Abortion And How It Affects Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights Work In India
Feminism in China (multi-media project by journalist Vera Penêda)
The feminist trying to change Saudi Arabia’s strict Islamic law
Afghan Women: What the West Gets Wrong
Heleena Kakar, Afghanistan’s ‘first feminist’ battles on with her women’s newspaper
Sonita, The Feminist Afghan Rapper Fighting Against Child Marriage, Will Give You Chills
I’m offended by the pussy hats.
Were you offended by Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women? “Grab them by the pussy,” he said.
Also, you know the pussy hats were a play on words… right? They were pussy cat hats. The pink hats were not vaginas. They were cats.
Regardless of whether or not I marched, I’ve been involved in feminism for awhile now.
Great! Then you already know how much work we still need to do.
The resources above should help you with conversations with other people new to feminism or critical of feminism.
When you are in a privileged space with other people of your privilege, speak up for the marginalized. As a white woman, this means I need to call out racism from other white people. As a middle-class woman, this means I need to call out classism.
Believe it or not, this is actually a short list of resources and action steps. Not to belittle my hours of research, my 2,000ish words, and my 40ish links to additional sources.
However, I wanted to provide easy choices to stay involved with feminism. We are all at different places in our feminist journeys. We all have the capacity to learn and to grow. I hope this blog post inspires you to take action in your own community, even if that community is online.
And hey, it’s okay to take a step back too and practice self-care. Remember, self-care is radical too!
Did you march? Why or why not?
P.S. I tried to vet all nonprofits/organizations that I recommended for donations. However, I couldn’t independently verify each of them for effectiveness. I encourage you to look into their programs before donating.
Oh my gosh Brita, this post is a treasure trove. So many links and opportunities for education. You gave me definite food for thought.
I’ve considered myself a Christian, pro-life feminist for over 5 years and I fall closer to the anti-choice camp. This was because I thought most women who wanted abortions felt desperate, alone and fearful of the future. My stance was that if we all rerouted the energy put towards rallying against abortion laws and instead put it towards empowering and equipping pregnant women to live abundant lives with their child, that would have a better result for everyone and be more “feminist” (i.e. pro-woman).
However, I did read your post about your decision in the past to abort (even if it didn’t come to pass) and I think I have to acknowledge that my assumption above will never apply to all women. There are lots of reasons women might want to abort without necessarily feeling desperate and fearful.
Which brings me to question myself: If I will never know all the legitimate reasons women across the country want to abort, then can I reasonably stand anti-choice? Don’t I want women to be empowered to take responsibility for their own bodies and make their own decisions? Can I stand in good conscience saying that we should make a blanket decision for all?
Hi Ivanna! I’m so glad you find these resources helpful. While anyone can utilize any of the links, I really did try to tailor each section to a specific group of women.
I certainly encourage you to keep rerouting energy towards empowering and equipping pregnant people to live abundant lives with their child(ren)! The most recent abortion data comes from 2014. 75% of abortion patients were poor (incomes of 100–199% of the federal poverty level) or low-income (less than 100% of the federal poverty level).
Your questions are definitely good ones, and I’m glad you’re thinking about them. One of the problems with enacting blanket laws against abortion, with exceptions only for the parent’s health or life, is that doctors then have to consult with lawyers before making medical decisions.
Like if I were to get pregnant right now, there is a very real, but hard to quantify statistically, chance I would die. My health would certainly worsen, but to what degree? Enough of a degree that lawyers would decide I could get an abortion? Or would it be considered not so bad that my doctors would have to take a “wait and see” approach to see just how sick I become.
What an awesome resource you’ve put together, Brita!
Thanks, Elyse! It took for-freaking-ever to get it all done, but I wanted to address specific groups. I’ve done a lot of listening (and some arguing) on Facebook this past week. I’ve mostly heard from the first three groups of women. I hope they’re all willing to take action beyond a march or a Facebook post.
Thank you so much for the resources! I didn’t march, but I do support the march. Peaceful protest is a beautiful thing. I am definitely going to look into some of the non-profits you linked here. RAINN really caught my attention! Also, I was really confused by the hats. I had no idea they were cats! That makes so much more sense. lol
And lastly, a science march is being organized and Pearson and I are going to try to march if we can. I’m pretty excited about it even though part of me feels like people are just copying the women’s march for an arguably smaller issue. But these issues really hit home personally for us since it will now be close to impossible for Pearson to ever get anything published or get a job out of grad school. Especially since his entire research career has been based on finding alternative energy sources to help with climate change… Oy.
American right to assemble is a beautiful thing and makes me grateful for our Constitution.
Some knitters made their hats more obviously cat-shaped, but the initial pattern was designed as easy enough for a first-time knitter. So the corners that poked up gave the impression of being cat ears, but weren’t really obviously cat ears. I honestly thought everyone realized the pussy hats were a double-play on words, for “pussycat” and for Trump’s remarks, but I also have several feminist knitting friends, so I must have better access to that information.
I think it’s great that a science march is being organized! Marches have been an effective tactic for decades. Trump’s executive orders against the various science-y federal agencies terrify me. Book sales of 1984 have skyrocketed. We need knowledgeable people to have the freedom to speak publicly.
I appreciate how open and honest you are with your beliefs. And I was touched by your vulnerability in sharing your story about your “almost abortion.” I do have one question that keeps coming to my mind as I read your posts, and many others. I believe that a woman is ultimately responsible for her own choices. I am pro life and always will be, but I do not condemn others who believe differently. But how can those who choose NOT to agree with abortion (which is also their right) and who are morally opposed to it, be expected to watch their tax dollars go toward something that they believe is wrong? (ie funding to places that perform abortions).
One more quick thing…I know of at least one women’s group who were not seeking to be sponsors, but simply listed on the registry that were not allowed because they were pro-life.
I’m not sure what “listed on the registry” means in regards to the march, but if that’s any sort of official recognition, yeah, a group that wants to make abortion illegal should not have received official recognition.
The group’s purpose and goal is not making abortion illegal, but rather providing resources that are optional to abortion…which is just as much a choice as abortion. I think that groups such as that should be given just as much recognition. Otherwise, aren’t we taking away other choices? How is that pro-choice? I’m not seeking to be argumentative…I am really desiring to know your thoughts.
From what you’ve said, I think there’s a typo in there, but I assume you mean the group’s purpose and goal is providing resources on alternatives to abortion. That’s fine…
As long as their advertising doesn’t mislead women into thinking the group offers abortion. (Something crisis pregnancy centers do). As long as they’re not also providing factually inaccurate information about abortion if a pregnant woman brings up abortion. (Also something crisis pregnancy centers do).
Let’s assume that this group in question meets those requirements. That is great, and I say that with all sincerity. But considering how shady and underhanded so many pro-life organizations have been, I totally understand if the organizers of the Women’s March just did not have enough time to vet every.single.pro-life group to see how they operated in practice. I totally understand them erring on the side of not supporting organizations under a label that usually means restricting reproductive rights.
Because a person or an organization who thinks pregnant people have the legal right to choose abortion is pro-choice. And if a group refuses to acknowledge their position as pro-choice, they are choosing to align themselves with all the other pro-life groups eroding reproductive rights.
“How can those who choose NOT to agree with using drones to kill American citizens overseas be expected to watch their tax dollars go toward something that they believe is wrong?”
“How can those who are morally opposed to small-town police forces using military-grade weapons be expected to watch their tax dollars go toward something that they believe is wrong?”
I oppose SO many uses of tax dollars, but I don’t get to allocate my tax dollars for just the programs I support.
The Hyde Amendment already bans the use of federal tax dollars for abortions except in the cases of rape/incest and life endangerment. 17 states fund abortion under Medicaid, which comes from state tax dollars.
So when people say they want to defund Planned Parenthood, either they’re incredibly ignorant about how Medicaid works, or they don’t give a shit about health services for low-income women. I’m guessing it’s a little bit of both TBH.
Isn’t it a little extreme to throw everyone in those two categories? I know women who worked for Planned Parenthood who left because they believed that they were not putting the needs of women first, but rather the almighty dollar. I am not arguing for either…but simply pointing out that there are some people who want to defund Planned Parenthood for other reasons, and perhaps they are not ignorant, but rather interpret the facts according to their personal experiences. Just like our experiences determine our beliefs on the subject. I feel like there can be open dialogue about both sides of the issue, without the name calling.
Facts are not open to interpretation according to a person’s personal experiences. Opinions are.
Also, calling someone ignorant isn’t an insult. We are all ignorant on topics until we educate ourselves.
This is an introduction to how Medicaid works. Planned Parenthood offers free and discounted medical services to low-income patients. This work then qualifies PP for Medicaid reimbursements.
http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/policy-basics-introduction-to-medicaid
Texas gutted their family planning spending back in 2011, losing federal Medicaid dollars. This article, written in 2012, explains some of the immediate effects on health clinics around the state.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp1207920
This article, written in 2016, looks at the effects from 2011-2014.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2016-02-03/study-less-contraception-more-medicaid-births-after-planned-parenthood-ban/
That is what would happen across the entire country if Planned Parenthood could no longer receive Medicaid reimbursements for the services they offer low-income patients.
Perhaps the problem here is what we are referring to as “facts” are really not facts or at least not all of them. Which is why they are open to interpretation. Statistics being a very good example – they can be skewed to present a very different picture depending on the person presenting them. Unless someone has the complete picture there is room for interpretation, I would venture to say that neither side truly has all the facts or the entire picture, as much as we would like to believe that we do.
Fact: The Hyde Amendment already bans the use of federal tax dollars for abortions except in the cases of rape/incest and life endangerment.
Fact: 17 states fund abortion under Medicaid, which comes from state tax dollars.
Fact: Tax dollars pay for programs that people oppose.
Fact: Planned Parenthood offers free and discounted medical services to low-income patients. This work then qualifies PP for Medicaid reimbursements.
Fact: When Texas changed legislation regarding the Women’s Health Program, they lost federal Medicaid funding. Clinics closed. Women lost access to free or reduced-cost medical services.
Are statistics open to interpretation? The numbers themselves, not really, unless a study is flawed. That’s why I read the direct studies cited whenever possible. The cause of the statistics? Sure. Again, that’s why I read the direct studies cited.
Will one person ever have a complete picture of the entire world? No. But have I read hundreds upon hundreds of articles, detailed statistical analyses, and medical studies regarding reproductive health over the last decade? Yes. That’s including dozens of articles from a pro-life perspective, with both religious and scientific arguments.
I once waded into the comments on LifeSiteNews and answered several questions regarding my views, with every single person thanking me for taking my time to give polite and thoughtful replies. That is, until a site admin joined the conversation, asked me a question, and immediately banned my IP address from being able to comment on the website. This intentionally set me up to look like I was unable to answer the question.
I appreciate your willingness to learn a new perspective on abortion. However, this conversation is no longer productive for me.
I’m sorry. I think you missed my point. I didn’t mean to argue that what you were stating weren’t facts. I was speaking in more general sense and I apologize that I didn’t artculate that very well at all. I fear you misunderstood me to be attacking you because that was not at all what I was doing. I tend to question everything and merely want to attempt to understand things from all points of view. I am sorry that this conversation is not productive for you. It does happen to be helping me, however, which I appreciate. However I won’t pursue it further. Thanks for enlightening me thus far though. I really have enjoyed hearing your perspective. I’m sorry if I have been a bother.
P.s. I truly , truly hope you do not take my comments as a personal attack. From what I have read you are a beautiful person who truly desires to make the world a better place and I think that is absolutely wonderful. I wouldn’t even bother asking you questions if I didn’t believe that or truly want to hear what you have to say. This is a topic so many people are deeply passionate about and it can be difficult to really discuss such things in a text only context. I wish we could sit down over a cup of coffee and chat as sisters in Christ. Because in the end, that is the only thing that really matters- that we share a Savior who laid down his life for us!
All good stuff! I appreciate how you created sections for individuals approaching the march from different contexts. I was surprised to see my state rep condemn the march as “unChristian” and “unAmerican,” neither of which seems correct to me. All of this – the new administration, the march, seeing my elected representatives respond to it in varying ways – has inspired me to be more active in my local political scene.
I didn’t march, and I have mixed feelings about the march. I’m a Mormon, but I consider myself a feminist, even though I’m a stay at home mom and don’t feel that women need the priesthood (only men do in my church)….but I feel uber strongly about the potential of women and the abilities of women and that women are equal to men and that they have a purpose to do things that men can’t do…they round out men, like yin and yang…in that regard, I consider myself a feminist.
Ooo, I’m looking forward to reading through the resources you posted. Thanks for putting this together!
Also, I realize others here have profile pictures and such, so to avoid the appearance that I’m posting anonymously, my name is Steve, and I’m a married guy with a three year old daughter and second daughter on the way.