March is Women's History Month

#1

35 PRACTICAL STEPS MEN CAN TAKE
TO SUPPORT FEMINISM
by Pamela Clark

  1. Do 50% (or more) of housework.

  2. Do 50% (or more) of emotional support work in your intimate
    relationships and friendships.

  3. Consume cultural products produced by women.

  4. Give women space.

  5. … but insert yourself into spaces where you can use your maleness to
    interrupt sexism.

  6. When a woman tells you something is sexist, believe her.

  7. Educate yourself about sexual consent and make sure there is clear,
    unambiguous communication of consent in all your sexual relationships.

  8. Be responsible for contraception.

  9. Have progressive name politics.

  10. If you have children, be an equal parent.

  11. Pay attention to and challenge informal instances of gender role
    enforcement.

  12. Be mindful of implicit and explicit gendered power differentials in
    your intimate/domestic relationships with women…whether a partner or
    family members or roommates.

  13. Make sure that honesty and respect guide your romantic and sexual
    relationships with women.

  14. Don’t be an online bystander in the face of sexism.

  15. Be responsible with money in domestic/romantic relationships.

  16. Be responsible for your own health.

  17. Don’t ogle or make comments about women. (i.e., Keep your tongue in
    your mouth and comments to yourself.)

  18. Pay attention to the sex of experts and key figures presenting
    information to you in the media.

  19. Ensure that some of your heroes and role models are women.

  20. Praise the virtues and accomplishments of women in your life to
    others.

  21. Have integrity with your male friends. (i.e., Don’t be a “bro.”)

  22. Don’t treat your spouse like a “nag.” If she is “nagging,” you are
    probably lagging.

  23. Know that acknowledging your own sexist opinions and stereotypes
    you hold is not enough. Do something about them.

  24. Befriend women.

  25. Find female mentors/leaders. (i.e., Be subordinate to women.)

  26. When in a romantic relationship, be responsible for events and
    special dates associated with your side of the family.

  27. Don’t police women’s appearance.

  28. Offer to accompany female friends if they have to walk home alone at
    night…or in a public space where they may be likely to feel unsafe.

  29. Inject feminism into your daily conversations with other men.

  30. If you have a tendency to behave inappropriately toward women when
    you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, do not consume drugs or
    alcohol.

  31. Be aware of the physical and emotional space you occupy, and don’t
    take up more space than you need.

  32. Walk the walk about income inequality.

  33. Get in the habit of treating your maleness as an unearned privilege
    that you have to actively work to cede rather than femaleness being an
    unearned disadvantage that women have to work to overcome.

  34. Self-identify as a feminist.

Here’s Pamela Clark’s original article on the 35 Steps:

Pamela Clark’s follow up to her original article:

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