A Few Ideas to Jumpstart Today's Feminist
Equal Pay, Equal Rights, and Domestic Violence As Starting Points
Sep 30, 2008
Working as a feminist activist isn’t the same journey it once seemed. In the 1960s and 1970s, feminism was a movement alive in all parts of the country. Activists who came to feminism signed on to a campaign or organization already in force and worked to help the group meet its goals, shaping the organization along the way. Now, feminism overall doesn’t have the same vigor, and activists may find themselves searching for a cause to make the changes they see as necessary. These ideas are a few feminist actions on some major gender issues of the day.
Organize for Equal Pay
The National Committee on Pay Equity encourages local activists to organize people on a specific day in April. The NCPE sets this date each year based on when a woman’s pay catches up to a man’s for that year. The NCPE voting membership is open only to women in certain occupations, primarily industries with trade unions, but the group permits a supporting cast in any occupation. Equal pay demonstrations call for raising public awareness of the wage gap and can include trying to get legislators in on the process.
Push for the Equal Rights Amendment
Fifteen states never ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and some activists are working on a 3-state strategy to get these states to do so. Even if your state already ratified the amendment, try visiting nearby states in an effort to get a vote there or work to coordinate activists in the states still needing to pass the ERA.
Make Domestic Violence Awareness An Issue
Domestic violence occurs in every community in the United States. Work to educate people about domestic violence issues. The national Clothesline Project, in which women decorate t-shirts with anti-domestic violence statements and air them as “dirty laundry,” is an excellent visible education campaign. Also try lobbying legislators for tougher penalties or organize fundraisers for your local battered women’s shelter.
Community Education
Most communities have some sort of community education project. These centers offer courses on everything from how to pass the GED to how to budget for young moms. Get involved by contacting places in your community that house these classes. If there isn’t anything available, start your own classes and run them from your living room.
Being an active feminist today takes a bit more work than it once did, but there is work to be done. With a little creativity and energy, feminists can make changes in local communities across the country.
