I have decided to become a vegetarian for ethical reasons.  This is my small form of activism for resisting patriarchy, and also a way to educate others on the oppression of animals within our food system.  Vegetarian ecofeminist theory has shown me the connection between patriarchy and meat eating, and by changing my eating habits to a more animal friendly diet, I don’t have to participate in an abuse that is similar to the oppression of women.  I feel like i need to practice what I preach, and if I want to make the world a better place for women I can’t act as if I am better than another being.  If I want to live in a coexisting world, I can’t justify a reason for consuming them.  Eating meat is only continuing a form of patriarchy on animals.

My plan is to become a more educated consumer by making vegetarian choices for every meal.  Not only am I planning on doing this, but in order to show others my new way of life and the ethical feminist reasons behind it, I want to post pictures of some of my meals on my Instagram story.  With each picture I will include a small caption explaining my meal choice.  I hope that with each explanation of why I am resisting meat, my Instagram followers will learn from a new perspective of feminist vegetarianism and want to make changes in their lives.  My goal is not to push my lifestyle onto people, but to hopefully spread a positive influence.  I will do this for a few days and see if I get any responses from others.  Maybe they will be thankful for my posts, or maybe they will be angered by them- either way my posts could help start a conversation.  As we learned from, 10 ways to make Twitter work for feminist activism, social media can be used as a platform for activism because, “online activism offers the possibility to empower marginalised voices, the opportunity for cross-boundary dialogue, and affords a stimulus for social change”.  My plan is to help others think of their food differently, and make the comparisons between the meat industry and patriarchal oppression.  I have a lot of female followers who I feel would mostly resonate with my posts because of their feminist morals, so I am feeling positive that I will get some responses from them.

Results: 

I have eaten meat my whole life, so it was hard to incorporate meals into my diet that weren’t centered around some kind of meat.  Regardless, I was able to do it and I am proud of myself for making the effort.  I had some black bean quinoa burgers and got really good at sauteing vegetables!  I have never been one for cooking, so hopefully my meals will get better as I continue with this diet.  As far as my Instagram story goes, I did not get as many responses as I had hoped for.  Mostly just my mom and a few close friends, as to be expected.  I was hoping I would hear from people who don’t normally respond to my posts.  I wanted to see if what i was sharing sparked any interest, and maybe it did but I wouldn’t know. 

I think if I wanted to hear from more of my followers I should have been more engaging with my posts.  I could have asked questions to incite answers, or created something interactive like a poll. I think that regardless, it was good that I shared what I did, because even if I didn’t get many responses, I am still spreading this information and helping to influence this unique, feminist perspective on vegetarianism that isn’t normally associated within our society.

“Environmental protection is not just about talking.  It is also about taking action,” (Maathal).  I think that women are often at the forefront of environmental activism around the world because they do not hold enough political power to make a change.  They are the first people to see the physical results of environmental degradation, but their voices are not powerful enough to make drastic change.  I think women have realized that talking about these issues are simply not enough.  They may not have the political power, but they have the power of their own actions.  Maathal says, “Women who start to plant trees on their farms influence their neighbors. The neighbors eventually become involved. At the national level, we have been able to draw the attention of the parliament, and even the president, to the need to protect the environment!” 

I see a connection between oppressed women and oppressed nature: dis-empowerment.  But women have realized that when you take matters into your own hands, a change happens and people start to join you.  Even that small change you made on your own starts to become noticed by the public, and it grows, so much that those who hold the most power cannot ignore you any longer.  A recent example of female environmental activism that has grown to create a national dialogue is the Standing Rock protest made up of Native American women.  Not only are they bringing awareness to environmental degradation brought on by corporations, but their activism is also shedding light on, “…a larger fight against a history of misogyny, racism and abuse by law enforcement,” (At Standing Rock).   Native American tribes, especially Native American women, have historically had no power when it comes to taking on the United States government.  The women of Standing Rock, were people who would be directly affected by this new pipeline, and I think they were expected by those most powerful to say anything.  I think they were expected to follow along due to their dis-empowerment, but they didn’t.  They decided to take action into their own hands.  They could talk all they wanted, but unless they made some physical action there would be no change.  Their efforts have led to police brutality, humility, and over 400 arrests (At Standing Rock).  Regardless of this, these women have remained strong and determined, and in doing so, their action has created a internationally recognized movement against environmental degradation made by powerful, rich corporations.

I feel that behind marginalized and poor communities is a sense of defeat, of powerlessness, and of hopelessness.  These communities became this way because of an abuse of power from those at the top.  But, activism offers a way to reclaim their own sense of power, to let them use these feelings of deprivation as motivation to make a difference.  It’s a way of practicing autonomy and taking control over what you feel has been largely taken for granted or exploited, abused by those more powerful.  And, I would say that it’s more likely for an oppressed group or person to want to make these activist stances because of their own relation to oppression, as we have seen with women and nature.  It’s standing up for those who are voiceless, and by doing so, giving them a sense of power.