LOVE (WOMEN MORE) ACTUALLY

Love is all around me, and so the feeling grows..

I've been thinking a lot about how to end domestic violence, sexual assault, the gender pay gap, and the gendered disparity in authority, wealth, and decision-making in the world we live in.

In essence, how do we bring about an end to patriarchy in a world where most people know no other way of being?

I've landed on “Love Women More”. This has nothing to do with your sexual preferences, and a lot more to do with sisterhood and support.

So this is my call out to all women.

When you have a choice, choose women.

Women make 80% of the buying choices in our society. Use this power and choose to buy from women-founded, women-owned, women-led businesses. Invest money, including super, using these principles too.

Read books written by women, for women. Read books about the history of women’s achievements. Read books about women’s experiences.

Listen to music and podcasts written by, performed by, or featuring women. Listen to Taylor Swift, even if her music isn’t your gig. She is an incredible woman and a powerful role model.

Watch movies with women leads and women protagonists.

Buy art from women, of women.

Tammy Wampler - Moonspiralart. ISHTAR is the goddess of love and sexuality, and thus, fertility; she is responsible for all life. She is also the goddess of war and is often shown winged and bearing arms.

Attend conferences, or other professional events only if there is a gender balance in the speaking panel. Tell the organisers you can only attend their event if they even up the ledger.

Challenge your belief systems. Why do you have “preferences” or “like” certain things? For example, why do you remove body hair? Have your choices been molded and controlled by male-directed marketing and porn? They likely have. Can you break that conditioning and make a more woman-centric choice?

Help a girlfriend, sister, daughter, mother…. a woman you have never met. Ask what they need from you to help lighten the load. Be the non-judgmental ear when shit is going down. Tell them what a wonderful mother, friend, professional, woman they are. That the world is super lucky to have them in it.

Watch women’s sports. Praise women athletes. Highlight their achievements.

Choose to prioritise women’s healthcare and women’s health options, including menstrual issues, endometriosis, contraception, abortion, and menopause. Women know when something is wrong with them, it is not “all in their head”. Support the women you love to get the healthcare they need.

Use kind words to describe women. Stop saying shitty things about other women, particularly those you don’t know. Your current shags ex is not crazy, narcissistic, or a psychopath….she is another beautiful woman, just like you. You’ll likely be the ex one day, sooner or later, and you can bet your last dollar that this radiant joy you are currently enjoying the company of, will say similar things about you to his next partner.

Appreciate and rejoice in women’s emotions. Remember humans are emotional beings who sometimes think, not thinking beings who are occasionally emotional. Praise women for showing and sharing their emotions - all of them, the dark and light, the fun and the challenging.

Promote and engage in healthy sexuality. Buy your friends a womaniser. Google it, trust me, it is worth every cent.

Believe in women, trust women. None of this “but” bullshit. Listen to what they are really saying and believe them.

Listen to your own and other women’s intuition. We know. WE KNOW.

Women are powerful beyond measure (though it can be measured) both economically and socially. This is what terrifies the patriarchy most of all. This is why they need to use a million small and large acts of violence to subjugate and hold power over women.

We are the original creators. We create life. Without us, there is no humanity. There are no men.

Women are Devine. Utterly and undeniably Devine. Go forth and spread some Divinity this holiday season.

LOVE (WOMEN MORE) ACTUALLY.

My picks:

• Books - Elinor Cleghorn “Unwell Women; A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World”. Clementine Ford “I Don’t”, Gabrielle Blair “Ejaculate Responsibly”, Brene Brown “Atlas of the Heart”, Caroline Criado Perez “Invisible Women; Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men”. Lucy Cook “Bitch; A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal”.

• Movies - Barbie, Hidden Figures, Alien (where the only ones to survive are the smart woman and her cat), The First Wives Club, Little Women, She Said.

• Shopping - yoga wear “Dharma Bums”, yoga props “Calm Budhi”, natural beauty and skincare “Flora and Fauna”, underwear “ModiBodi”, jewelry “UbyKate and Be Hers”, gift baskets (supporting domestic violence survivors) “Mettle”, flowers “LVLY”, wine “3 Drops”.

• Healthcare - View Health chemo@home (of course!), Dr Kirsten Connan (Tasmania, fertility), Dr Tamara Hunter (WA, WOOM).

• Moving house or relocating - Sue Pember “Mi Casa Property Boutique and Aussie OS”

•Super - Verve Super.

• Everything Brene Brown.