Simple acts that make sense
Microfeminism is about driving change through small, everyday actions.
WE’RE all familiar with feminism, but what about microfeminism? This term, which is spreading on Tiktok, encourages women to make the world – and the world of work in particular – a more equal place through small, everyday actions.
Feminism can be explored in more subtle ways than some might imagine, with small changes that may seem insignificant at first, and concrete actions taken on a daily basis. The concept is nothing new, but Tiktok has given it a name: microfeminism. The term emerged and has been spreading on the social network since the American user Ashley Chaney talked about it in one of her videos, viewed over two million times and garnering thousands of comments.
In her video, the film producer shares one of her tricks for discreetly combating gender inequality. She explains that she systematically puts the assistant’s name (when the position is held by a woman) before her boss’s (when the boss is a man) when she sends a professional email, for example.
Simple actions, such as starting an email with “Dear Madam or Sir” instead of “Dear Sir or Madam,” giving priority to women in conversations, referring to “humans” rather than Man or mankind, or not moving out of the way for a man in the street are some of the other kinds of practices advocated by microfeminism.
Many women report misogyny in the workplace. One way to address the issue could lie in small actions and changes that individuals can adopt, particularly at work, to combat gender inequality.
“It’s like, instead of just standing up burning your bra and screaming at people, it’s like little acts that make men pissed off,” explains Tiktoker Katie Wood, in a video on the subject. These actions also offer shy or less confident women the chance to act discreetly.
In response to the videos posted on this subject, many internet users have shared their own techniques. “If someone tells me they’ve been to a doctor, lawyer, or any other specialist, I ask ‘what did she say?’”; “I put up safety/ cleaning posters featuring our staff in the workplace and always make sure to use images of the guys for kitchen and toilet posters saying to clean up after themselves”; “I’ve signed up my husband as the first emergency contact at my children’s school. My little revenge”; “I write real estate contracts and always put the wife’s name first,” read some of the comments on Tiktok.
While these gestures may seem trivial, seeing thousands of women come together to share them and discover new, subtle ways to regain their power is a testament to a major shift over time, and demonstrates a form of solidarity among women that is as strong as ever. – AFP Relaxnews