Top Ten Ways to Make A Difference

by Jen Nedeau

Published October 04, 2008 @ 04:18PM PT

When it comes to making a difference in the women's movement, one can choose to engage on a variety of levels: local, national, campus, and faith based organizations. Beyond joining organizations, it is important to speak out, watch key legislative movements, campaign for female candidates and most of all: vote.

1. Join Local Community Organizations: Whether it's participating with the PTA, being a mentor to underprivileged girls, or volunteering at a women's shelter - one of the best ways to understand what battles still need to be fought on a national scale starts with local knowledge. Identify the issues within your own community first by using resources such as Idealist.org, and then go change the world.

2. Join National Women's Organizations: A great way to stay in the loop about the women's rights movements is to join the email listservs and action committees for national organizations such as NOW, Naral, Feminist Majority and Women's Action Network.

3. Join Campus Organizations: From high school extracurricular activities to college activist networks, working with your peers as you go through your educational experience on women's rights issues can ensure that you'll have friends who care about the same things you care about, you will learn about the issues and know how to take action from an early age. Join pre-existing Feminist Majority Campus chapters, or start your own. Team up with your campus health center and launch an Emergency Contraception Campaign. Ask teachers to cover pressing issues in the women's rights movement or ask for speakers to be able to join the classroom and present the issues.

4. Join Faith-Based Organizations: Working toward justice for women through faith-based organizations can be a unique way to combine your spiritual practices with the women's rights movement. Organizations such as the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance works to expand the spiritual, ritual, intellectual and political opportunities for women within the framework of halakha. Catholic Charities works to reduce poverty in America, of which single mothers are the most effected. Additionally, the Interfaith Worker Justice educates, organizes and mobilizes the religious community in the United States on issues and campaigns that will contribute to women's labor rights by improving wages, benefits and conditions for workers, and giving a voice to workers, especially low-wage workers.

5. Think and Act Globally: While it may be difficult to think that one can make a difference on a global scale when it comes to women's rights, it is just as important to be raising the consciousness of those around you about the major issues that women face internationally, especially within developing countries. You can take action by sponsoring women in war torn countries trying to rebuild their lives through Women for Women International. You can take action to stop violence against women with Amnesty International. You can follow the issues about women's rights with Human Rights Watch and make sure to maintain a dialogue with friends, family and members of the media.

6. Speak Out: Allowing your voice to be heard is a key mechanism for raising the consciousness of the women's rights movement. Don't silence yourself if you have a story to share - even if it is a difficult one about sexual violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment or gender discrimination. Turning to organizations such as the Women's Media Center or Center for New Media's WAM! Program can help women share their stories and raise consciousness about these important issues.

7. Write It Down: If you are comfortable with speaking out about your story, make sure to at least write it down. Anything from a personal journal to a blog to a opinion editorial to a magazine article to a book will allow you to record the history of the women's movement and become a piece of the larger struggle toward gender equality. Don't let history be written only by men, share your story. Feminist magazines and blogs such as Ms., Bitch, Jezebel, Feministing, and Feministe are ideal places to try and share your story, but also working with the mainstream publications can also be instrumental in raising the collective consciousness about women's rights.

8. Hold the Media Accountable: Don't allow the media to perpetuate sexist stereotypes or under report women's issues. Write letters to the editor, call into broadcast shows, write op-ed pieces or start your own blog where you can offer critiques of the way women are covered in the news or what issues are being left out of media coverage. Organizations such as Media Matters work to monitor the media on a variety of topics, including feminism. Additionally, make sure your voice is being heard by signing with Soapbox or Women's Media Center.

9. Legislative Watch: Keeping an eye on what elected officials are doing, as well as legal cases that are being decided upon is a good way to understand what is at stake when it comes to women's rights. Organizations such as the Alliance For Justice identifies important court cases and legal decisions. The National Conference of State Legislatures offers tracking of state legislation by issue, and GovTrack allows anyone to monitor action at the federal level in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

10. Elect Women Leaders & Vote: In order to progress the women's rights movement, it is important that women who are willing to fight for gender equality are also given the chance to be elected into office. Organizations such as Emily's List, The White House Project and Women's Campaign Forum devote energy and resources to encourage women to be elected into office. In order to elect women who will promote women's rights, it also requires that women go to the polls and vote. Organizations such as Women's Voices, Women's Vote can be instrumental in encouraging the female electorate to go to the polls, in addition to monitoring the effects women have on elections.