It Pays To Be Emotional

I am a ‘feminist’. It’s a title that’s crept up on me over the last few years, as I’ve become increasingly impassioned about gender equality and increasingly frustrated by the constant barrage of news stories suggesting that we don’t yet have it.

- Pippa Scaife

Once upon a time admitting to the feminist label would probably have meant I had to burn my brain some irate public spectacle, but today’s fourth wave membership has a slightly more subtle admission fee.

Whilst I try not to use feminism as an excuse to be the loudest voice in every room, I can see it sneaking into the majority of my day-to-day decisions. Who I spend time with, how often I speak up in a meeting, how often I use apologetic vocabulary like ‘sorry’ or ‘ just’ in an email.

Throughout this growing realization, I have dedicated much of my time, my energy and an escalating proportion of my income towards issues that touch on female empowerment and other representations of diversity.

When I talk about dedicating my money to the cause I don’t mean in the traditional sense; I’m not constantly throwing pound coins at charity collectors on the street or racing to a bookshop to enlarge my Sylvia Plath collection.

Instead, I make this financial commitment by placing equal importance on ensuring that the brands I spend with share my views and aren’t afraid to put their money where their corporate mouths are.