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Painting by Eric Dennis, Jr. (Available at Afropolitan's Flagship Store in Monrovia, Liberia)


No matter where you live, whether in Africa, the Americas or the Middle East, today’s social and political climates demonstrate a greater need for support of women’s causes. More than ever, men and women are stepping up, speaking out, and organizing in droves to address subjects such as equality, justice, reproductive rights, sexuality, race, sexual violence and harassment, and more. For instance, in Liberia there was backlash against the revision of the Rape Law, in the United States there is the #Metoo Movement, and in Saudi Arabia, the ban on female drivers was lifted. With the popularity of social media and the rapid speed with which information is shared, activism is no longer limited to organized protests and other public events. They can be done virtually, as the Arab Spring from a few years ago has taught us.

Get Active in Person or Online
If you are considering ways to be more active about women’s causes, you are not alone. In country’s like Liberia, where women’s rights organizations are not well established, people are unsure where to start and how to make the greatest impact. Fortunately for most, the Internet provides access to many platforms that can highlight and magnify issues, ideas, and encourage people from far corners of the globe to stand up and consider themselves accountable for what is going on in the world around them.

Do These Things Starting Today
Some of the ways you can step up and show support for women and the causes that relate to them include:

    1. Make yourself aware of the issues facing women today. You don’t need to be female to understand the great struggle women of all ages face. Learning more about the most common things that your mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins, nieces, aunts, friends, and co-workers face on a day-to- day basis, helps you discover new ways to raise awareness and make change a real possibility. Before speaking out against an atrocity, read up on the subject. Arm yourself with information so you can deal with conflicting viewpoints respectfully and effectively.

    2. Invest your time, money, and talent in groups and organizations committed to making change a reality for women. Money is a powerful tool when it comes to outreach. It isn’t, however, the only thing you can donate. Time and talent account for a large portion of resources needed by charities, groups, and organizations. They simply can’t get their message across as strongly as they need to without the assistance of other people. If you can’t provide a sizable cash donation to your favorite women’s charity or cause, find other ways to help further the cause.

    3. Stop enforcing gender roles and perpetuating exhausting stereotypes. Among the most important things you can do to show support for women is to unlearn all the stereotypes that you have learned in the past. The world, up to this point, has had a very negative view of a woman’s role in a household, workplace, and society as a whole. Despite the changes that occurred after centuries of protesting and fighting for equal rights, there is much room for improvement. Change starts with you. Stop seeing the world as black or white and male or female. Each person is different and if you start to challenge the way you evaluate situations and the language that you use to describe things, you’re heading in the right direction.

Give women the support and encouragement they need to thrive. It’s important to talk about such matters in today’s world because they’re on-topic and life-changing. The way we treat women and other human beings, for that matter, makes all the difference in creating a better, more peaceful planet for everyone for us all.

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