Redefining Feminism: How We can include all Women in the Fight for Equality in Today's Society

A collage of diverse facial features blends different races into one composite portrait, celebrating multicultural identities.

It feels hard to celebrate this year's Women's History Month. So much is happening in the country that does not inspire joy or upliftment. A competent and experienced woman lost out on a job to a white man who isn’t even mediocre — he got the job because of the rich old boys’ network greasing the wheels. The blatant misogyny and racism against skill and competence were hard to accept after years of feminism breaking down the walls of the Patriarchy. But what was even harder was seeing how many women, primarily white women, were complicit — women who refused to believe that a woman could hold her own and be successful in the role of President, despite countless examples of women leading worldwide.

As a woman executive, I’ve faced my fair share of misogyny and sexism. I’ve spent my career dealing with white men telling me I couldn’t do something, that I was too assertive, too blunt, not likable enough — just too ‘too.’ As an executive coach, I wanted to pay it forward, helping other women rise, navigate their careers, and claim their power. The whole point of ‘amplify’ in my name is to lift women up and make their voices louder. Today, that feels hard to do.

I won’t sugarcoat it — the past five weeks have been demoralizing and sickening. It is hard to focus on raising your community when you watch it being dismantled. Words like ‘women,’ ‘female,’ and ‘gender’ are now banned in research. Capable and successful women are fired just because they are women. Title IX programs are being dismantled, stripping young women of opportunities in sports. Women scrubbed from governmental websites erasing their contributions to science. Women are dying because they cannot access proper medical care. Women are being forcibly removed from places while exercising their First Amendment rights.

At times, I want to pull the covers over my head and block out the world. It is just too much. But then, a voice inside me says, "Fuck them." Melissa Etheridge sang, “Our power ends where our fear begins,” and that is the truth. Women are strong and mighty. We have been fighting for millennia — whether for the right to vote, civil rights, or LGBTQIA+ rights. But while we fight the Patriarchy, we often fail to uplift one another. The definition of feminism has failed. White women have been shattering glass ceilings but have not always worked to remove barriers for Black women and other women of color.

I have always considered myself a feminist — no surprise to anyone who knows me. But that is not enough. Feminism has not always served Women of Color well. While it has evolved, it still often remains indifferent or even opposed to the needs of Black women. Feminism needs to be redefined to encompass different issues — intellectual, political, social, sexual, and economic — within a global context. Historically, feminism claimed to do this, but in reality, it centered on white women’s experiences. Feminism is not about hating men. It is about dismantling the systems they have put in place that limit all women. True progress requires empowering all women to work toward breaking down those barriers together.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day on March 8, is Accelerate Action — to not only celebrate all women’s achievements but to fight for equality. It is a big ask in today’s environment, but one we can accomplish if we work together.

As white women, we can take five steps to redefine feminism:

1. Educate yourself continually. Read books by Women of Color — Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Layla Saad, and Robin Wall Kimmerer. Expand your knowledge beyond white-centered feminism.

2. Examine your privilege and biases. Engage in difficult self-reflection. Use your privilege not to speak over but to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized women.

3. Support Women of Color. Advocate for their leadership and decision-making opportunities. Support them economically. Challenge white-centered feminism and recognize the unique struggles they face.

4. Speak up and act. Silence is complicity. Correct misinformation. Challenge racist narratives, even when uncomfortable.

5. Practice allyship, not saviorism. Allyship is about partnership, not rescuing. Listen more than you speak. Accept feedback with humility. You will make mistakes — but approach them with authenticity, and you will learn.

   
   

When I started writing this, I thought it would be about staying strong and taking action. But one of the main actions we need to take is to become united. Division has contributed to where we are now. We cannot create lasting change if we do not work together.

International Women’s Day is about all of us. This month is about celebrating the achievements of all women — white, Black, Brown, Indigenous, transgender. It is about acknowledging how far we have come and how much work remains. This is the time to bring everyone into the fold, because more is at stake now than ever before. And it requires our full attention and energy. It requires us to redefine feminism to empower all women to fight for equality and justice in today's world.

Learn more about Women’s History Month here: https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/