Regardless of your opinion on last Tuesday’s election in the U.S., now is still the time to band together as women around the world and do some serious investment into the progress of women and sisterhood. Whether you’re feeling down, excited, or indifferent about the future, it is always the right time to lift each other up to work towards a common goal of happiness, health and freedom to be you and pursue your dreams. We should all strive to create a world where women are celebrated and empowered by their peers, and we have some ideas for a few easy actions you can take to foster tangible results towards those goals.
SPEAK UP
As our VINA Society member Alli Palombo said in this morning’s Taboo Topic Tuesday, “Silence is absolutely detrimental…” Not just in terms of women’s health, but for all of us feeling empowered as whole. One of the easiest and most important things we can all do as women is to be vocal about our support for each other both IRL and online.
You don’t have to scream from the rooftops, but show other women you support them by standing up for each other against everyday sexism. Publicly noting your support for organizations benefitting women (see below) or just publicly supporting your own vinas on social media is a fantastic way to start.
DONATE
If you’re looking for a way to get involved, donating to organizations aimed at supporting women is a great place to start. Whether you donate time or money, you can help efforts to protect and support women, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world. If you’re looking for a place to start, here’s a list of organizations that need our help right now.
BE AN ALLY
While all women are united because of our gender and the unique challenges we face as women, some of us have traits such our race, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation that afford us certain privileges that other women may not have. Having these social and political privileges allows us to act as allies for those who might not. Being an ally means using your privilege to help amplify the voices of marginalized people, protecting them when you can against violence and/or discrimination, and most of all, listening. Listening for how you can be a better ally to your vinas, how to help yourself and others stay safe, and how to get involved in an appropriate way.
How do you empower yourself and your vinas? Tell us in the comments!
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