I worked for a nonprofit a few years back that sent physical mailers multiple times a year, and my job often involved creating or editing the mailing list for the printer. There's all sorts of boring spreadsheet formulas to getting the right names and addresses to show up when you do that... I slowly shifted the spreadsheets so that in a relationship, the woman's name would come first, and that in a family, both spouses last names were included. For an institution with some deep patriarchal origins, this felt like a big win (and got some handwritten responses from old ladies noting the change with secret glee). Small seeds of change!
Haha I love this! At work I always give the woman in a het couple her coffee first and never considered it feminism, so that’s cute!
Also, wearing no bra when I walk my dog is elite. There’s something so freeing about interacting with strangers without wearing one. Like, what are ya gonna do hon? Absolutely nothing, haha.
Not me, but in university I had an older male professor who made a point to always use she and her when describing something. I never even noticed before how almost no other professor ever said she/her always he/him, until he basically shook me out of my patriarchal trance. Funny that it was an older man too, he was a communication psychologist so that may have had something to do with it.
I don’t have any great examples of pulling off micro feminism, but love this topic as I often feel I am treated as a 50s housewife when I attempt to handle financial issues — they always require my husband’s sign off as he is the “breadwinner” and primary name on accounts. The fact that I am managing them and asking the questions is utterly disregarded. It’s offensive, particularly in light of the fact that I had an incredible fashion career and stepped away to raise children — during which time I have become a well-established freelance writer. Thank for you shedding light on this!
I worked for a nonprofit a few years back that sent physical mailers multiple times a year, and my job often involved creating or editing the mailing list for the printer. There's all sorts of boring spreadsheet formulas to getting the right names and addresses to show up when you do that... I slowly shifted the spreadsheets so that in a relationship, the woman's name would come first, and that in a family, both spouses last names were included. For an institution with some deep patriarchal origins, this felt like a big win (and got some handwritten responses from old ladies noting the change with secret glee). Small seeds of change!
Haha I love this! At work I always give the woman in a het couple her coffee first and never considered it feminism, so that’s cute!
Also, wearing no bra when I walk my dog is elite. There’s something so freeing about interacting with strangers without wearing one. Like, what are ya gonna do hon? Absolutely nothing, haha.
Love all of these examples!! I always address envelopes female first. Hateeee when I receive an invite in the mail with "Mr and Mrs (Husbands Name)"
I’ll buy my daughter clothes from the boy and girls section - specifically pajamas - like why are dinosaur pjs “for boys”?
Not me, but in university I had an older male professor who made a point to always use she and her when describing something. I never even noticed before how almost no other professor ever said she/her always he/him, until he basically shook me out of my patriarchal trance. Funny that it was an older man too, he was a communication psychologist so that may have had something to do with it.
I see another comment about listing the female first on contracts. All my preferred venders are also female (photographer, lawyer, etc.)
I loved your blog so much, I had to write about my own micro-feminist moment!
Couldn't tag you on LinkedIn but heres the link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anjananarayan_microfeminism-everydayrebellion-breakingnorms-activity-7188213963942174720-GCck?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
I don’t have any great examples of pulling off micro feminism, but love this topic as I often feel I am treated as a 50s housewife when I attempt to handle financial issues — they always require my husband’s sign off as he is the “breadwinner” and primary name on accounts. The fact that I am managing them and asking the questions is utterly disregarded. It’s offensive, particularly in light of the fact that I had an incredible fashion career and stepped away to raise children — during which time I have become a well-established freelance writer. Thank for you shedding light on this!