When God created earth, she made sure to give women enough strength to fight for their rights. You might have noticed I didn't say "he." And that, right there, was a very deliberate act of micro-feminism.
It's a term that's become popular in recent years, as women all over take control with small but meaningful acts of resistance that laugh in the face of toxic masculinity, sexism and gender inequality. Many women have caught onto the fact that a little can go a long way. And instead of big shows of defiance, they're adding daily dashes of micro-feminism to their ammunition.
From holding the door open for a man, to using "she" when the gender of a person in power is not known, to refusing to move out of the way when a guy is in their path, women have been sharing the clever ways they support each other while schooling those that need to be taught.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the best acts of micro-feminism shared by people online. Keep scrolling, upvote your favorites, and feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section below.
#1
If I’m in a group and a man repeats what a woman said like it’s his idea, I’ll say, “Yes! Just like *she* said ” or something like that.
Image credits: j_silva_sp
We've come a long way in our fight for gender equality. But there's still a lot of work to be done. Instead of huge displays of resistance to push feminist ideals, many women are engaging in small acts that, together, can make a big change. These little actions are known as micro-feminisms. And the idea has been trending recently.
Last year, a woman called Ashley Chaney went viral on TikTok after revealing that she always addresses the women first whenever she emails a team. Her video opened the floodgates for others to share their own ways of choosing to empower girls—while, no doubt, annoying some guys.
#2
Offer to take pictures of moms and kids and just moms. When my mom died, there weren't many recent photos of her because she was always the one taking the pictures.
Image credits: blipblewp
#3
"I went to see the doctor today"
"Oh yeah, what did she say?".
Image credits: onegirlandhergoat
"Examples of microfeminism include directing questions toward the women in the room first, not yielding to men on sidewalks and instead expecting that they yield to you, or referring to CEOs as 'she' first," explains The Everygirl founder Emma Ginsberg.
Acts of micro-feminism are considered low risk because they're unlikely to cost people their jobs or create "major backlash" like big forceful shows of feminism might. "It's effective and gentle, and I hope it will encourage others to see bias," says Alice Rose, a gender and psychology researcher from the University of South Australia's Centre for Workplace Excellence.
#4
When I shake hands with men I act surprised and comment on their firm handshakes.
My husband does my favorite though. He’s a pretty typical looking manly guy but I handle all the car stuff. Sometimes he’ll take the car for an oil change and when they try to upsell he’ll tell them “oh my wife just ordered filters - she’ll change them.” Or “my wife changed the spark plugs a few months ago, they’re good.” Or “oh I don’t know, I’d have to ask my wife she knows more about cars.” He says their reactions are priceless.
Image credits: flojopickles
#5
Pads and tampons proudly displayed in bathroom. What if guest needs one?
Image credits: GreenGlassBeads
#6
Okay mine is kinda lame compared to the other ones. But I write novels with great female characters who will not take s**t from men 🤷🏻♀️.
Image credits: ScarletStained2007
Rose believes it's important that these micro acts remain just that: micro. "Anything too big of a push back could attract negative attention [for an individual]—we don't want that," the expert told ABC News. "There needs to be changes at a systemic level, they need to be done by people in groups, so people can stay safe while these goals are being achieved."
An assistant professor at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Danna Abraham, says she too has embraced micro-feminism as a form of defiance. One of the ways she does this is by hardly saying sorry. It might seem strange, but Abraham explains that one of the most noticeable manifestations of gender bias is how often women apologize, and a lot of the time, they don't need to.
#7
Whenever a man pisses me off I donate 10€ to an abortion charity.
Image credits: biodegradableotters
#8
Every time a man interrupts me I interrupt him back and firmly say "I wasn't done talking"
not sure if that counts as micro but they are very shocked every time they immediately get interrupted back. Acting like they didn't just f*****g interrupt ME lmao.
Image credits: eugeneugene
#9
At trivia, whenever there’s a question about sports and doesn’t reference a specific league, I’ll ask if it’s men or women’s sport instead of assuming that he’s talking about the men’s league.
"I’ve noticed a pattern among female colleagues and students: an inclination to apologize for things that don’t warrant an apology. In a study by Schumann and Ross (2010), the authors found that men apologize less frequently than women, even when confronted with similar offenses. This behavior highlights how societal norms and expectations can differ based on gender," she says. "Challenging these norms, even in small ways, can be a form of resistance."
Abraham suggests that before women start an email or a conversation by saying, “I’m sorry,” they ask themselves: Is an apology warranted?
#10
I’ve taught my sons to clear the table at big family-in-law dinners and help in the kitchen. I also throw shade at my husband if he doesn’t get up off his a*s. The best part is when it’s a small dinner, my father in law will be sitting there alone with no one to talk to.
#11
When making presentations at work I always use images of women for engineers, scientists, construction workers, etc. I try to use no images of men at all.
Image credits: TemperatePirate
#12
* Playing “Patriarchy Chicken” when walking in public places.
* Firmly asserting my space on airplanes when a rando next to me tries manspreading.
* Continuing to speak when a man tries interrupting me — I act as if I can’t even hear him — and taking my time to finish what I was saying.
* Always addressing envelopes with the woman’s name first when sending cards, etc.
* When at gatherings such as holiday parties, I don’t drift off to the kitchen or go into automatic service mode for the men.
Abraham also makes a point of reclaiming her space in the world. "It’s said that one of the aims of patriarchy is to reduce women to nothingness," she explained. The expert says visual displays of patriarchy happen in broad daylight. All the time.
"In a crowded public space, I noted who gave the right of way when women and men approached each other. My findings were unsurprising: 99% of women moved out of the way to give men the right of way," said Abraham. "Since then, I’ve committed to never moving out of my way when walking in public spaces. Of course, I’m still courteous to people, but I refuse to let others claim my space."
#13
I tell my students to "woman up" when they need to show resilience!
Image credits: Belle0516
#14
Ms
I am 'Ms' irrespective of my marital status and have been since my late teens.
#15
When a man looses his temper at work I always say “you’re so emotional “.
Image credits: msbizzaro
Experts argue that deploying acts of micro-feminism can actually help you—and others—at work. Professor emerita at RMIT's College of Business and Law, Sara Charlesworth, says one way to do this is by recognizing there are women in a room and making sure they feel heard.
Using micro-feminism to draw attention to inequality or sexism in the workplace can also help highlight the issues for those who may not be aware, she adds.
#16
When writing letters to married couples I always put the woman’s name first.
Image credits: wrapped-in-rainbows
#17
I call every single person on the planet “girlfriend.”
When people (okay men and boys, obviously) make a stink about it I say: “Oh I just use it to mean everyone. Like how we know that ‘all men are created equal’ means everyone.”.
Image credits: catspeeonmystuff
#18
Wherever I get a cold, I go upstairs to bed without giving my husband a heads up for doing chores first. Just like- oh man time to rest. And I come down when I feel like it. Works for him, so now it works for me.
Image credits: thenewestaccunt
Meanwhile, Rose says that engaging in acts of micro-feminism is an opportunity to meet the three basic psychological needs of Self-Determination Theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
"Acts of micro-feminism are a chance to exercise autonomy, build up confidence to be assertive and call things out, which leads to self-efficacy, and when you're supporting others in the workplace by speaking up on behalf of each other, that increases relatedness," the expert explains.
#19
In group settings at work i always ask men to take the notes.
Image credits: locomon0
#20
Dude who was taking care of my dog now and again was rather sexist and condescending, so I stopped going to him and sent him a message explaining exactly why. Caused quite an inconvenience for me but I had to stand on principle.
#21
I hand the man the to go box to package up their food and not the woman at the table. It's almost funny how befuddled some men get.
Image credits: Soundoftulips
Ginsberg believes that microfeminism is especially beneficial for those who want to engage with feminism, but find it dangerous, intimidating, or straight-up unrealistic to do so in a large-scale way.
"If you don’t want to post online, join protests, or run for office, microfeminist acts will be the bread and butter of your feminism," she says, adding that these actions plant seeds for broader justice for women from the ground up.
"After all, a single action, like telling a male coworker to not interrupt a woman while she is speaking, can shift that person’s actions for years to come," explains Ginsberg. "Reminding yourself and others that fighting systemic sexism starts on a person-to-person level is essential because it’s what sparks hard conversations."
Keep scrolling for some of Ginsberg's micro-feminism ideas...
#22
If a man proudly asserts that he did something that women do every f*****g day as a matter of course (childcare, meal preparation, laundry) I exclaim " Way to go! Just like a Big Boy! Good for you!"
If any man around me refers to household chores as "helping" I say "you meant 'taking care of my living space like a grown a*s man, right?'".
#23
Never moving on a sidewalk if a man is in my path.
Image credits: goddessthrownaway
#24
Tell a man “he’s brave” for sharing his opinion, especially when it’s mediocre.
Image credits: procrastin80r
Ginsberg says there are many ways you can incorporate micro-feminism into your daily life. For example, if a man interrupts you or another woman, interrupt them back, or simply continue speaking, call out men who take credit for a woman’s idea, don’t step to the side when approaching men on the sidewalk, ask for people’s pronouns when you meet them, address women in the room before men, if you have nothing to apologize for, don’t immediately say “sorry,” put a woman’s name before a man’s, or refer to a couple as “wife and husband,” and since “guys” is often used as a gender-neutral term, use “girlies” gender-neutrally, as well.
#25
When I was a server and barista and a couple came in I’d maintain eye contact with the woman.
Image credits: Pixiestixwhore
#26
This may not be subtle, but first vacation with my mom’s family and my now husband (bf at the time) I made myself a sandwich and my mom asked “aren’t you going to ask husband if he wants a sandwich and make him one too?” I said “Uh, I’m pretty sure he knows how to make a sandwich and can make one if he wants one.”
My husband never asked me to make him a sandwich, but my subtle way of bucking the patriarchy is saying to men or about men “oh, does he not know how to do that simple task?”.
#27
I like to tell guys that I like their top.
Image credits: GenXer76
#28
Getting my tubes removed at age 30. I'm not playing games with that s**t.
Image credits: happy_chance18
#29
When getting Christmas presents for couples, I pick gifts that the woman would like because I’m 100% sure they are the ones planning, wrapping and signing the gifts on behalf of their husbands and families. Let’s be real, holiday magic is just women doing kinkeeping.
#30
I don't laugh at bad jokes. .
#31
I work as a tutor and whenever I call a family to make the first appointment with the student, I always call dad's number. It's funny when they try to remember their kid's schedule and figure out if Mondays at 3 will indeed work for them.
#32
When I’m out at a party always looking out for girls who are alone. One time I clocked this girl who was standing by herself and didn’t look comfortable so I talked to her and brought her to my group of friends. We need to look out for each other 100%.
#33
I teach and if my kids say 'policemen' or 'firemen' by default, i explain to them why 'police officers' or 'firefighters' should be used instead. I also gently correct any stereotypes that come up (e.g. if someone says 'boys shouldn't cry', i'll explain that we're all human and it's perfectly natural and healthy to cry when upset). I hope these little lessons stick, even if it's in small ways!
#34
I am a waitress, and i try to give the card to the woman when closing out if there is even 1% of ambiguity of whom the card belongs to.
Image credits: OkayCartographer
#35
The other day I asserted my train armrest claim so hard the guy next to me moved over.
Image credits: woena
#36
Ive taken the exclamation points and overly happy to help vibe out of my emails.
#37
I won’t let the people around me refer to grown women as “girls.”
“But what about someone that’s like 20! Isn’t it weird to call them a woman?” If it’s that hard for you, the phrase “young lady” goes a long way. But there is no reason for you to say “there was a girl in the restaurant earlier” and be referring to a 40 year old woman. You don’t refer to men as “boys,” and for good reason.
“But with boys/men you can also use the phrase guy and there isn’t a female equivalent” okay too bad stop infantilizing women because words make you uncomfortable!!
#38
Only get tattooed by women.
Image credits: patientpanther
#39
I don't smile/laugh at inappropriate jokes (often by older) men make. They usually are surprised and start explaining the joke and in doing that confronting how inappropriate it just is.
I think this does 2 things:
- have them think about the subject of the joke itself
- shakes their confidence. And probably they start thinking more before they speak.
#40
I gave a strict talking-to the other day to a young woman telling me she never thought she could/should have a home of her own since she’s single without kids. Not that she couldn’t afford it, just that it wasn’t — normal etc. Just planned on keeping on renting indefinitely … But why not, I said? Never lived with anyone else and now I’ve got a paid-off house in my 40s. All on my own.
You get that equity, sis. Don’t let either a man or absence of one steal your future financial security!
#41
If anyone judges me for getting medical advice from the internet I remind them that women weren’t included in medical trials until the late 1990s.
I have filled my brain with feminist facts.
Image credits: Knower-of-all-things
#42
I ignore men when they try to interrupt me.
Image credits: BeccaSez
#43
Not a woman but it irritates me to no end when one of the first things people say about my partner(wife) is how pretty she is.
I’ll using reply back with something like “their name, is really smart and funny too.” She is really pretty but that’s not why I decided to spend my life with her.
I also just introduce her by name. She’s a person not a possession and our relationship status and its social title is not a defining attribute.
#44
This is really minor, but when talking to children about nature, I use she as the default pronoun. That dragonfly is so fast, where do you think she's going? I saw a raccoon outside, how far away do you think she lives? Etc, etc.
#45
I hold the door open for men at the gas station. While holding it proudly announce “this is my power move.”
Some of them absolutely cannot or will not walk through it. It’s a wild world.
Image credits: Reasonable-Marzipan4
#46
Not too sure if this may count as an example, but I work in childcare. When I have to call a parent to pick up their child due to illness, I ALWAYS make it a point to call the dad first. Everyone always calls mom first, and mom usually will leave to pick up, so my thinking is “I’m going to make dad leave his day job and pick up their child.” Of course, I call mom and let her know.
Image credits: glittering_entry_
#47
In mixed gender conversations I call out women to ask for their contribution. I often find it hard to get a word in edgeways so when I get to speaking I always end with asking another women what they think.
Edit: I actually ask quieter people & usually it’s women. I’m mainly thinking about a work context.
#48
I will squeeze myself next to a manspreading man on the subway and force him to put his legs closer together.
#49
Not making conversation if I don’t feel like it.
I apply it more for men though, a lot of the times they just expect the woman to be the one actively communicating and I’m not here for that.
#50
Part of my job involves signing contracts with ranchers for grazing leases. I always put the wife's name first and the husband's is second when drafting that up.
#51
Calling dudes "buddy" or telling them to "calm down" usually scratches the itch for me.
#52
I make it a point to call female professors by their title ever since I read that they're less likely to be called that compared to their male peers.
#53
Most of my healthcare providers are women.
#54
Instead of saying bro I say girl, to all my guy friends as well.
#55
I go for a walk every morning and when there is a couple walking toward me I purposefully drift to the man’s side so he’s the one that has to move when we pass each other.
Image credits: Notoneofthosemoms
#56
When writing emails I will always use "Miss or Sir" When i dont know the gender of whom I'm writing to. Never Sir first.
And also adress C level positions in female if they are female... La Gerenta. La Presidenta.
In Spanish, C level positions are all male gender, even if it's a woman... would never ever male gender their position... or any position...
#57
Forcing them to break eye contact first.
#58
I never refer to God as "he", because God is non-human.
#59
Not really "feminism," at least not at the time, but maybe now that I look at it...
I was out with one of my dogs a few years ago and picked some wildflowers near a bus stop. An old man, POC (I'm very white, it's a racist AF, red lined city), saw us while he was waiting for his bus and smiled.
So I gave him a flower when Dog said hi. He didn't quite know what to think about this white woman 35-40 years younger than him handing him a daisy but it made him smile in a different way.
#60
My dad whenever he drives and someone in front of him is driving to slow or something calls the driver baba which is slightly pejorative word for a woman so whenever I’m a passenger (which is often cause I don’t drive) I call the „bad” driver in front of us dziad which is male equivalent of baba. Especially with my dad I also say something “what a dziad” before he is able to say anything.
#61
This one is very silly, very niche to digital creatives but I always make my layers in adobe suite programs (usually illustrator) girly pop colors. Pink, lavender, pastels lol.
#62
I host a podcast and always speak to the female guests first before asking the male guests for their input.
#63
I withhold any domestic managing and nurturing behavior (even passive ones like listening intently, asking questions like a therapist, and having a gentle feminine tone of voice) from male friends, family members and acquaintances...unless they can give me that attentive nurturing energy too.
#64
We have a great many non binary family friends who are adults and I want my kiddos to be respectful so I call them all Mage instead of Ms. Or Mr. Or even Mx. Because it comes from the word majesty and makes them sound like a magical wizard! I do it with people who are male and female cis or trans.
Just like leveling the playing field for everyone, not just woken, but the NBs too 😊.
#65
I do not shave my legs or pits and I go out and about with my body hair clearly visible.
#66
When I was a kid I liked to play Solitaire and I would make the Queen card higher than the King card. Yeah, it was a small thing, but I am proud of the child-feminist I was.
#67
Whenever I need an expert to interview for an article, I choose a woman. Whenever I need an expert to help me with something, I choose a woman.
#68
Never using offensive words that are specifically designed to degrade women (s,c,b - the usual). When I say never, not even if it’s sung in a song. If I ever hear a sexist statement, it quite literally doesn’t matter who it came from, I will correct them. I shower the women around me with love, attention and gifts. Share important information about women’s struggles on social media. Cut off every man as soon as I sense even 1% of misogyny (I don’t befriend straight men). In a romantic setting, I don’t plan on settling ever (he needs to be competent in life skills, know how to house chores, be emotionally intelligent as much as I am, belong on the left side of the political spectrum and be financially stable and take care of his appearance). Don’t make myself small in front of men nor do I baby them or try to impress them like many pick mes around me do, that s**t makes me want to vomit. At last, working on becoming part of academia and being the best version of myself as much as I can, and hopefully, set an example for other ladies.
#69
I'm working on not using my "customer service" voice at all anymore - they either get an intentionally low, slow, and smooth version of my voice intended to bring them down to that same energy, or they get my normal speaking voice.
#70
I exist as a small, high voiced, unassuming, and not at all intimidating person who can lift 5 gallon buckets at work and have certificates in specifically male dominated fields and keep my house spotless while having nice hair d**n it. You make everything you do look easy, so if the day comes when a man has to do it, they have to actively try to figure it out. My husband has no idea how our washing machine operates, but I'll be damned if he doesn't say thank you, lol.
#71
I started asking for women when I bring my car to get serviced.
#72
Whenever I meet a man for the first time I ask “do you work?” instead of “what do you do for work”.
#73
I tip women more than men.
Image credits: ellemae93
#74
I try not to keep the peace. I refuse to pacify people just because it would be expected of me. I will tell you what it is I'm feeling unapologetically and let the angry folks sort themselves out.
#75
When men give directions no one asked for, I say "Thank you, Google Maps!"
#76
I moan when I parallel park perfectly. Just loud enough to remind the patriarchy I have spatial awareness and vibes.
I ask male coworkers to “smile more” when they look grumpy. Equal opportunity unsolicited positivity 💅
I use his razor, his hoodie, his charger, and his emotional bandwidth like it’s all community property, because patriarchy never asked before taking mine.
I call any mildly competent man “so clever!” like I’m praising a toddler for eating with a fork.
I never correct men when they spell something wrong in DMs. I just let them exist in lowercase shame.
Micro feminism? Babe, it’s in the microaggressions he doesn’t even notice.
#77
Randomly make eye contact and wink. .
