This morning I was reminded of how difficult this work is and how important it is for us to continue to encourage conversations and engage as kindly as we can.
I don’t know why people are so reluctant to say they’re feminists...But how could it be any more obvious that we still live in a patriarchal world when feminism is a bad word? Feminism always gets associated with being a radical movement – good. It should be.' ~ Ellen Page
Women's issues are SO bloody complicated to talk about. Every single topic opens a huge can of worms; bra vs. no bra, wearing make up, menstruation, contraception, babies, porn, sex work, stripping, job choice, clothing choice! It sometimes feels almost impossible to have sensible conversations about these things without getting caught up in arguments. And then that makes us go quiet and then we're back where we started!!
It's SO important for us to listen, to hear other opinions, to begin to understand the complications & nuances, to hear the personal experiences that lead to the choices and opinions we all hold. But in order for us to listen someone needs to be sharing and in order for us to share we must feel supported, held, understood and safe. If we get shot down every time we try to have a conversation then the conversation will stop.
My good friend and one of the smartest feminists I know, Abi, shared this nugget with me this morning when we were on the topic of sex work (until this conversation I didn't even realise that prostitution was an outdated term. a perfect example of the importance of conversations!!).
'[sex work] is so tricky to untangle and people tend to get a visceral response and so often either go to the radical feminist 'no no no, it's never ok! Always rape!' or the patriarchal 'it's a choice, economic empowerment' but for me the reality is so complex and jumbled up between the two. So important to have the conversations!!' ~ Abi
THIS conversation was my inspiration for this post. THIS is what I am going to continue to promote.
Open your heart, hear your sisters, expand your mind, raise your voice!
Carly xxx
P.S. We're all a mess of contradictions and hypocrisies. None of us are perfect.
