Here are the five acts of micro feminism I’ve started incorporating in my day-to-day to succeed in an industry that’s male dominated
Hint, this Tiktok trend isn't anything new
On repeat, I ask myself what would a man do in this work situation? This might sound counterintuitive to adopting a feminist-first approach, but by giving myself permission to remove elements of guilt from my relationships and communication it helps me to – well - work a bit better. This has definitely been a work in progress for me over time, and whilst it's sometimes uncomfortable, ultimately if a man wouldn't give it a second thought, then maybe neither should I?
Now you might be wondering what am I talking about, micro-feminism? Or, you might be thinking, bore off, not another bloody TikTok fad! Well, I implore you to listen up, as I believe we should all be micro feminists in our own micro ways. The idea was brought up on TikTok recently by people discussing ways that they adopt a micro-feminist (or for the benefit of this post I am going to write ‘MF’ - not to be mistaken with mother f*cker), approach. Examples could be, addressing an email to the female colleague before the male, or bringing the point back to the female speaker when a man might speak up louder to make his voice heard (despite the fact she mentioned the point first). It’s tiny acts of feminism to raise up and support the women around us.
[Credit: Elspeth Vincent making me look way more fresh-faced than IRL]
A lot of my work is based around communication in person, on email, or on video. And to be honest, most of the time these days, I am surrounded mainly by women (despite our industry being a male-dominated one). So, for me, it’s more about how I treat myself to a little MF approach in my day-to-day:
Saying no to giving up my time and not feeling bad about it. If someone wants my (or the team’s) time to discuss what their business has to offer ours, but it isn't something we need right now, I just so no thank you, not at this time.
Being clear on my expectations. If I'm working with someone and it isn't working, I let them know clearly what my expectations are.
Sharing how I'm feeling in a direct way. If the way someone is communicating with me isn't making me feel good, then I let them know and ask them to change it.
Identifying myself as a solo founder. Yes, my husband works in our business(es), but he joined two years ago. I founded my first company seven years ago. And whilst his contributions are significant and integral to the success of my business, I am fundamentally steering the ship on all days in all ways and therefore recognise my contribution to be greater.
Empowering and encouraging the female voices around me. I actively recognise their contributions and make sure I check myself every week to ensure they know how valuable they are. If they don’t know this, then I will have failed.
Yes, this is currently a TikTok trend, but if you believe in equality then male or female, we should all be considering adding a touch of MF to our days. Essentially my take on it is this - supporting, recognising, and valuing the female voices in your business and who support your business. It’s nothing new really - but it’s what all us feminists have been doing subtly and slowly for years - without shouting or causing offence (oh how feminine of us). Just gently pushing our feminist agenda in our everyday lives. For me it’s at work and also at home in the way I speak to my sons (but that’s a whole other essay so we won’t touch on that here).