I learned something random recently. Did you know that elephants are the feminists of the animal kingdom?
Did you know that these majestic animals are a matriarchal society? They are. They also care for each other’s young, and bond with other females for life. You may have even heard about how several female elephants will make a circle and surround a fellow mama while she is in labor to protect her from predators and maybe just offer moral support or hip squeezes. (I’m not sure about the last part, but it seems accurate.)
How cool is that?⠀
I love the feminine dominance of these animals and am reminded of the empowering femininity I’m surrounded by all the time. I would be nowhere if not for every strong woman I have known and continue to know. I live and breathe feminism and I do my best to learn, grow, and continue to make it more intersectional. I believe that a group of supportive women could change the entire world.
But, hear this.⠀
Trendy catch phrases like “Women Supporting Women” and “Find Your Tribe” don’t mean only including/supporting the women you’ve deemed cool enough, popular enough, useful to you, or worthy of your acquaintance. Do not feign feminism if you’re limiting your love and support to a conditional few. That’s not inclusive and it’s not truly women supporting women.
Being queen bee of your clique doesn’t equal being a champion for women everywhere and you should probably pass on buying cute “girl gang” tees and sharing quotes about female empowerment if the only females you empower are your besties.
As Glennon Doyle says: make horseshoes, not circles. The tribe IS women. Not certain women.
