Micro-feminism is not a trend, it's a reality
At the beginning of the year I remember sitting in a team meeting at work having a group discussion with my closest colleagues before we had to share our individual points with the rest of the store. As I began discussing my point, I was interrupted mid-sentence by a male colleague who began discussing my point as his own just because he believed he had gathered enough information from discussing it at a group prior. As the room went silent and I was left in shock, I started to experience that familiar feeling of tension building in my stomach that I have felt many times before, yet was always unsure of how to respond to it so, I took a breath and decided not this time. I waited till he was finished and said aloud “Thank you for discussing the rest of my point.” It was a small moment out of all the times I've felt that tension, but it marked the first turning point into what I know now as micro-feminism.
What is micro-feminism?
Micro-feminism isn't about grand gestures or rebellious activism, for individuals like me (a student in Belfast) it's about the small daily actions we take to challenge gender inequality in our lives. These are the subtle ways as women we can fight back against bias to help in supporting each other, creating gradual change within our society. As I've discovered through my own experiences in lectures, work and social spaces these minor acts can have a profound impact on how we as women are perceived and treated.
The concept of micro-feminism gained widespread attention on social media platforms, specifically TikTok, where women began sharing their own micro-feminist strategies. From refusing to apologise about leaving work on time to collect their children, deliberately using female pronouns when discussing unknown authority figures or interrupting back when men interrupt us, these small acts of resistance have resonated with millions of women worldwide.
The reality behind micro-feminism
The statistics that empower commitment to micro-feminism are worrying. Here in the UK the reality for working women remains challenging with the gender pay gap for full time workers standing at 7% in April 2024 (ONS) meaning women still earn less than men for equivalent work. Yet when you look at all workers including part time positions the gap still widens being 13.1% (HouseOfCommons) reflecting the lived experiences of how women's careers paths are often shaped by caregiving responsibilities such as childcare.
Even more concerning rates are the harassment women face in their workplace. According to the Trade Union Congress 2023 (TUC) three in five women have experienced some form of harassment in the workplace (TUC) with 58% of girls aged 14-21 in the UK having been publicly sexually harassed in their learning environment (Plan International 2021). Schools/universities are supposedly a safe space for learning but sadly they have yet become another area where as women we must navigate gender-based challenges. The discrimination rates across the UK are rising also specifically for young women of ethnic minorities, with discrimination rates for young black women having risen to 39% up from 31% in 2022 (WomensTrust).
These aren't just numbers, they represent the lived experiences of women like myself who balance academic and workplace pressures along with the additional burden of navigating gender-based biases. Every time I've been talked over in a seminar, told not to lift something, felt unsafe walking alone at night or been stopped from completing a job simply just because I am a female, I've felt the weight of these statistics and I know sadly multiple other women like me have also.
Striving for change
Over the past few months, I've developed my own collection of micro-feminist actions that have transformed how I navigate professional and personal spaces, such as email etiquette. I stopped starting emails at work with “sorry to bother you or I hope this finds you well.” Instead, I begin them with confidence getting directly to the point of discussion. This small change has shifted how clients respond to my emails and increases my chances of securing a sale meaning my male co-workers actually see me as healthy competition due to my sales rate rising. Another change is directly using female pronouns when someone mentions a client or an authority figure that I don't know of, saying things such as “what did she say?” This simply changes the mindset people have of assuming authority figures are all mostly male.
As women to help in fighting this gender inequality we need to support women led businesses such as choosing women tradespeople and spreading the word about them, actively seeking out women professionals for services such as asking for a woman doctor. As a society this will help in addressing this issue in the wider community and help to work effectively in improving the prejudice view society has on women. The use of social media is also very important, TikTok as a platform isn't enough to spread awareness around micro-feminism, we need to use our social platforms to highlight female bodies and share women's achievements and experiences, showing that we challenge the sexist content out there and will not stand for it any longer.
The overall effect
In my daily life I've noticed by making these small changes, the difference it has had on my confidence in my academic studies, work and how I am socially, reacting and responding differently to different scenarios. I've noticed the people around me respecting and involving me more in discussions, actively listening and valuing my opinion. As a woman in this society it is hard to feel heard and valued. By putting myself out there and standing up to men who view themselves above us as women, I've noticed a change. Spreading awareness helps in empowering others around us to make the change also and helps in creating a more equal society.
These small changes aren't about diminishing men or creating conflict they are about creating balance in spaces where we feel as women feel our contributions have been undervalued or overlooked, it isn't about creating unnecessary gender consciousness in everyday tasks, it's about real change and how it can only begin if us as individuals decide to take action in what we believe in, despite individuals viewing micro-feminism from a negative perspective.
The overall goal for us as women is to create diversity and address the biases that exist around gender within society, meaning we need to make micro-feminism a mindset and not a trend on social media, instead using social media as a platform for change to shift this reality. As women we need to recognise our worth and begin to examine the dynamics where we feel less valued and decide the best route of action we need to take to improve this, getting us all to think of micro-feminism.
By: Morgana Jones, Student Placement (Ulster)