Happy International Women's Day! There seems to be no better day to publish this post. It's been more than a month since the Women's March, a day that I have had the pleasure of attending for the last four years. This year, in particular, I was leading chants, holding my poster "Woke up feelin' like I might just run for President -Lizzo " proudly, and I even brought some friends for their first ever march. Ever year I cry at the Women's March, I find it a beautiful occasion to witness unity and power in so many women surrounding me. This was actually the first year I did not cry at the march (I cried later of joy when I got home), but I think it is because I finally felt A PART of it. I was no longer looking in from the outside. I was fully a part of the crowd, and in someways a leader a part of it.
Before continuing, I must acknowledge the lack of consideration of intersectionality in places like LA who excluded the Black Lives Matter movement as a part of their march. I admit in my first march as an unaware freshman I saw climate change signs at the women's march and I didn't quite understand the correlation. I didn't understand the concept of intersectionality yet, but now I understand how it is critical we are all advocates in an intersectional way. I thank San Diego Women's March for giving space for speakers of diverse backgrounds and experiences, but we still must strive to be better. I hope the leaders of this march keep this in mind next year to make this an inclusive and empower space for people of ALL identities.
What my post is actually about is taking the advocacy beyond the march. When I go to the Women's March, there are so many faces. I know some people take this more seriously than others, and I understand that we are all in different stages of advocacy, but it has to go beyond just taking a picture and posting on instagram. Advocacy is more than that. Keep in mind this works for any cause, but based on my passion I will be using the Women's Movement for example. So here are some ideas to continue advocacy.
Educate yourself. Education in my eyes is the primary step to understanding any issue. Remembering that there are vast amount of sub issues within movements. You don't have to know it all-- you absolutely do not have to know it all, but look into something! I personally am most passionate about women's representation in government and girls access to education. I recently spent a semester doing a special study project on "women in political power within Kenya," this issue in particular is impacted by so many other factors, education specifically. This was mainly in response to my experience in Kenya over the summer. Fun Fact: they love Obama there. I had to understand the pipeline issue and how women empowerment is impacted by so many values. I am also taking a class this semester entitled "Gender, Race and Class" allowing me to better understand the intersectional issues, specially understanding the experience of different women of color. As a predominantly white woman, it's not something I have to consider in my every day life, but I want to be understanding and supportive of my sisters of color and educating myself is the first step. Follow accounts on social media related to your passion areas, sometimes it can be your peers who promote plenty of education you can benefit from! Whether its reproductive rights, women in science, and whatever it may be that interests you ---- educate yourself!!
Join a Cause. This can actually be possible in many different ways. If you go to a school or university, joining a club is a great way to do this! My organizations are really what have helped me to grow as an individual and better understand women right's. From IGNITE SDSU to "The Vagina Monologues" to working at the Women's Resource Center, not only has it helped make me more confident in my own views, it has given me the opportunity to better understand other people's perspectives and lived experiences. For you, this could mean joining a club, going to a related event, or maybe even making a donation towards the cause. Specific groups give us the needed perspective to be involved in a message and learn how to further advocate for an issue.
Put your Friends in Check. This is one of the things you can do in your everyday life. People say things all the time without throughly thinking them through, but you always have the option to stay quiet or say something to inform them. I understand this is easier said than done, but it can make such an important impact on making your friends reconsider what they say. I remind you -- take this as a moment to educate and help them understand. Yelling at them for what they said is not always the best way to get through to someone, but also you know your friendships better than me, so use your best judgement!! An example of how I go about this is when people use the phrase "they're such a pussy." Let me make it known, I KNOW this is a joke, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't stem from women being seen as a weaker gender. I just find it a simple way to show someone that what they're saying doesn't really make sense. All I say is "are you calling them strong?" to which the person who said the statement looks at me questionable and then I explain "well 'pussies' are strong. They handle a period each month and they can give birth to a child. Pussies are actually REALLY strong. So I'm not so sure you're using the word in the right way." In the grand scheme of things, I think this is one of insults that are not that bad, in fact, I somewhat joke as I inform whoever I am telling, but it is still educating. The thing is, sayings are reaffirmed when no one says anything. That's how people get away with saying things like "You're retarded" or "you're so gay" or "you're a faggot" or "you're a slut"-- we NEED TO say something to inform others. We cannot let these disrespectful things become normalized in society. If you are passionate about a cause, you should be able to implement it into your everyday life. Take the moment to educate your loved ones and help to create a better informed society to understand the causes that mean something to you.
Write to an Elected Official. I know people seem to think their view might not matter to their representatives, but it does! It is a great way to practice your free speech, and knowing from working in an elected office, we do keep tract of all views and opinions of our constituents. Plus if the issue is something concerned with policies, which is common, you could could encourage legislation to be created to defend a certain right. If you even want to take the advice a little further, you could set up an appointment to meet with your representatives office to make your opinion clearly heard. You could also consider lobbying with a group. Remember that government gets to establish what are the priorities are in our society and if you are passionate about a cause, reaching out to your elected official could make the issue more relevant on the political agenda.
Make it Personal. If none of these ideas inspire you, think about how the issue impacts you personally. It is said that "the personal is political" and starting with yourself can help people understand the issue a bit more deeply. Think about climate change impacts your everyday life, or the gender and racial wage gaps that exist. Understand your role in society and how it is impacted by each of these issues and go from there! This is a great starting point to becoming involved in an issue, and then from there I deeply urge you to begin seeing it from other's perspectives. It is good to fight for what impacts you, but without seeing how it impacts others we are missing a large part of the story.
I hope this can be helpful to taking advocacy further in your life. We all continue on our own road to advocating and I support your passions and your drive. May we all be advocates for a better tomorrow.
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