We love using the F(eminist) word at work.

We’re building a feminist workplace. You can too.

Starting a company in the middle of a global pandemic isn’t easy. And ensuring that it’s built on an intersectional feminist foundation takes time, work, and commitment. But as social justice activists, the values we espouse should be indistinguishable from the ones that drive our organizations. How can we be amplifying feminist work to dismantle systemic oppressions in the world, while not doing the same with each other?

It all started with our “dream” zoom calls. We were both so exhausted. We were five months into the pandemic and unemployed. Among Hayley’s TV show recommendations and me going off about not having had a haircut in 9 months, we talked about working somewhere that embraced diversity, acceptance, and growth. Somewhere we could be our authentic selves. A space where we truly shared power and decision-making. Did it exist? And why couldn’t we build it ourselves? 

We believe that feminism is multi-faceted in nature – feminism as theory, behaviour, taking action to bring about change, and processes that recognize and value difference. So naturally, our first order of business was to put this into writing. 

The more we had conversations about what a feminist culture looked like, I started paying closer attention to who would talk the most at meetings and how often. Yes – you could simply encourage your team member to speak up and “lean in,” but Sheryl Sandberg’s advice dislocates feminism from its more radical promise— dismantling the patriarchy (or as we like to say, setting it on fire!). 

Telling us to try harder in a broken system only encourages us to internalize our own discrimination. What happens when a POC speaks up about racism? Or a junior LGBTQ2S staff is critical of a policy take? We’ve been thinking about how to thoughtfully create space for these important voices. It’s our shared responsibility to create a culture where everyone feels like a powerful agent for change. 

Anti-Heroine Media is horizontally structured. As a team, we conceptualize power as empowerment, not domination. While I don’t consult Hayley in day-to-day illustration ideas or social media tweets, every decision that impacts us both is collectively made. 

Before launching, we spent the first few months really taking the time to understand how we work, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and what we wanted to develop — for each other, our company, and for the world. The trust piece is crucial — something we didn’t feel in our last work setting. 

As partners, we equally value each other’s areas of expertise, making an intentional effort to not interrupt when one of us is speaking. Listening – seems easy, right? Well, it’s just the first step. We really love the meeting strategy enacted by the women working in former President Obama’s cabinet. They called it “amplification.” It’s pretty simple. When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, and give credit to her/them. This forced others in the room – particularly the men – to recognize the contribution and deny them the chance to claim the idea as their own. 

Language matters: we know, we’re comms experts

In our work, words hold so much weight in building relationships and manifesting change. We build movements through telling stories. Why would this be different among our teammates? It’s important that we utilize respectful and inclusive language when we communicate with our colleagues. Infantilizing junior colleagues with words like “girl” instead of woman is a common example. This undermining language further detracts from their efforts and encourages others who hear it to consider them as incapable and less than adults, a not-so-proper employee. 

Unlearning patriarchal attitudes of professionalism

Patriarchy hurts us all. The masculinist ‘objective’ “Get-It-Done” culture is a product of capitalism, one that measures our value in society as a direct reflection of our productivity. Truth be told – we severely need to redefine our notions of what it means to be productive. As activists, our labour is often emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing. Rest is productive. Processing bad news is productive. Taking the time to do personal check-ins is productive. A culture rooted in feminism emphasizes process, collaboration, and care. We do this work because we care. 

Additionally, it's important that we decenter the idea that we don’t deserve to be comfortable because we are working for public good. This is the formula for burnout. Let’s radically care for one another, not just ourselves, in order to care for our communities.

No, reform isn’t enough

While president elect Joe Biden will assume office in January, the conditions that led to Trump’s America are still very much in place. When we say reform isn’t enough, we mean that working within the status quo is a gateway to fascism. We believe that reforming the police and the prison industrial complex will not feed the larger movement of justice and equality for all. Black abolition history also shows us white supremacy is not eradicated through reform.

The same goes for our companies. We’ve heard this again and again: your company won’t be anti-racist after an hour-long diversity & inclusion training. We must decolonize our workspaces by restructuring policies that disproportionately impact women, gender nonconforming, and BIPOC staff. This is not limited to salary, health benefits, maternity leave & childcare, human resources, vacation/attendance/and travel. Our workplace culture won’t change if staff does not feel like they can take advantage of policy changes. 

Affirm, acknowledge, amplify: a new workspace rooted in social justice & love

Accountability is one of the greatest forms of care. When someone offers you an opportunity to be accountable, it is an acknowledgment of your humanity and your capacity to transform behaviours. Listen, learn, and give gratitude. This, with transparency, is crucial to social justice work. While we certainly commit to our feminist values, we are human and are committed to evolving and growing with our communities.

A feminist workplace not only understands the gender gap but the intersections of employee identities and how they experience oppression in and outside of the workplace. That’s why we must be intentionally intersectional in our approach. We know that companies grounded in feminism can work together to challenge systems and structures that oppress and marginalize women and gender non-conforming folks, and take action to bring about social change. The revolution starts at home. Are you ready? Cause we are. 

Resources

Anti-Heroine Feminist Manifesta: the principles that guide Anti-Heroine’s work in and outside the office. 

Feminists at Work: a Toronto-based think tank that focuses on creating more feminist organizations, businesses, and systems. FAW also offer intersectional feminist ideas, strategies, and tools to transform the workplace.

Working in a Feminist Organization: a feminist organization toolkit developed by Melbourne-based Women’s Health West. The toolkit includes accessibly written feminist theoretical perspectives and 5 different areas of feminist workplace practice.