Portrait of a Teen Feminist
Natalia Thompson, 17
Wisconsin

Natalia Thompson

What is feminism?

A. Something about hating men
B. Unnecessary (don’t women already have equal rights?)
C. Dead
D. All of the above

Most people would pick D. After all, the media are loaded with stereotypes about feminism so most people think they know what feminism is, and they think it’s a thing of the past. But what is feminism really about, and why does it matter today?

I didn’t think a lot about feminism until I hit high school. I grew up sort of knowing what feminism was, but it wasn’t until high school that I got frustrated with the sexism of everyday life—the misogynistic* comments from male teachers and classmates, the way women are portrayed on TV, the double standards dictating things like who expects what on a date—and I decided I wanted to learn more about what was being done to make our world more fair for women and girls. Once I discovered what feminism is truly all about, I was hooked.

I think that most feminists will agree that feminism is about giving women (and girls!) choices. I believe in a feminism that empowers girls to fight for the issues that matter most to them, whether or not they’re directly related to gender. I don’t speak for all feminists, but I also think that feminism is about much more than just women’s issues. Because we live in such a complex world, we can’t address women’s inequality without also discussing the environment, the economy, and so much more. And because feminism promotes equality for all women, fighting for feminism is also about fighting against racism, homophobia, ageism, and other oppressions that limit the rights of some women.

Last spring, I started working on a Girl Scout Gold Award project, which is designed to find a sustainable solution to a community problem. Since ending sexism in my city once and for all seemed a little too hard, I decided to start slowly by getting more girls involved in feminist activism. I began my Gold Award project by listing issues that affect me and other teen girls in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. After researching what had already been done to address these problems, I discovered a trend: adults in my city weren’t asking girls to help brainstorm solutions or take action. Actually, adult leaders weren’t really listening to girls even though their decisions have a huge impact on girls’ lives.

It seemed unfair that in a city run “democratically,” an entire group of people barely had any voice at all. I later learned that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says that youth have a right to be heard on all matters affecting them. In other words, policy-makers are supposed to listen to what girls have to say before making decisions that will affect them.

Since adults obviously weren’t doing this, I decided to create a place for girls to make their voices heard. In May 2007, I founded Madison SOS (Speak Out, Sister!), an entirely youth-led organization that unites teen girls across our city in action on the social justice issues that most matter to us. Last fall, we organized The Young Women’s Leadership Forum, a workshop series that gave girls the tools to work for change on a variety of local and global issues. Teens learned about traditional forms of advocacy, like letter-writing and meeting with elected officials, as well as grassroots activism, like creating YouTube videos and staging protests. This summer, we painted a mural celebrating girls’ dreams for our community, and we created a documentary on issues like safety, relationships, and teen pregnancy.

Earlier this year, I also co-founded the Teen Feminist Action Network with Canadian activist Joanne Cave. Through this network, we hope to connect girl leaders to share ideas, resources, and advice. Girls’ leadership is feminist because it gives girls the freedom to decide what’s important to them and the power to take control of their own lives. Through these initiatives and others, I show girls that they can make a difference, and we all remind the rest of the community that girls’ voices matter.

Although it hasn’t been easy to run a non-profit community organization while living a normal teenage life, I’ve learned more than I ever imagined about feminism and activism. One way I try to share what I learn and encourage girls to take action is through my writing. I started writing at age eight, had my first poem published in a national magazine at eleven, and have been writing for a variety of print and online magazines ever since. I’ve always loved writing, but once I became an activist, it became so much more important. I’ve written about my experiences as a teenage feminist in New Moon, off our backs, GirlSpeak, and other publications for women and girls. I’ve also spoken out on youth issues in local media, and I’m always amazed by how many people tell me they’re surprised that teen girls actually “care.” Yes, contrary to the media’s mantra, we are strong, bold, opinionated, and beautiful!

Above all, I want other young women to know that you don’t have to be a genius, rich, or famous to change the world. It takes passion and persistence, but social change is really about people like you and me coming together to make a difference.

*misogynistic: characterized by dislike of women