I have always been a feminist, but bloomed into an activist through my passion to protect my big sister from catcallers. I spoke up against the boys and men that objectified us when we walk home from school, and I never stopped. In high school, storytelling became a hobby of mine and an outlet to my feminism. However, I needed to conjure up the courage to make my writings public and officially start Feminist Front in 2017. This became a telegram channel that grew into a website and later on to an entity that advocates for women’s rights in Ethiopia through the production of blogs and collective stories, as well as host yearly events that aim to socioeconomically empower women. Three years after the creation of Feminist Front, I co-founded Addis Powerhouse feminist digital newsletter. My prime objective was to amplify the voices of Ethiopian women’s rights movements/ activists and provide an educational space for young people to engage in feminist conversation. I am very hopeful that we are on the right path to positively change the perception of feminism in Ethiopia.
SECTION: RESOURCING OPPORTUNITIES
NGO CSW Youth Leaders & Young Professionals and Women Have Wings make available five $5,000 grant awards to youth leaders and young professionals who have a project or an idea to advance gender equality in their region. Check it out here: https://ngocsw.org/ngo-csw65-young-feminist-awards/
SECTION: SELF CARE SUNDAYS
By Selin Ozunaldim
Prioritize your physical and mental health. Here are some recommendations on how to practice self-care from a feminist point of view.
WATCH A MOVIE!
LITTLE WOMEN
Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.
READ A BOOK!
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Pride and Prejudice, a romantic novel by Jane Austen, published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. A classic of English literature, written with incisive wit and superb character delineation, it centers on the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner.
PRACTICE AN ACTIVITY!
Keep calm and breathe: 8 Yoga Poses for Stress Relief
- Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
- Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
- Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
- Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana)
- Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)
- Side stretch
- Plow Pose (Halasana)
- Corpse Pose (Savasana)