Being an active and, more importantly, informed participant in conversations surrounding the state of women’s rights globally and domestically is an excellent and effective way to express your support for global gender equality. That said, if you’re lucky enough to be able to splurge a little for a good cause, I have good news! You can also start putting your money where your mouth is, because there are actually a lot of great, ethical, feminist companies out there that deserve your support.
You may have heard of some of the more successfully marketed feminist companies, such as THINX , and you may even have become one of their customers. If that's the case, that would be awesome! I'm so proud of you, you bad bitch. (Also, I need to follow your example and buy myself some damn period panties.) There are a lot of other feminist companies that need your support, though—so share the love, okay?
Whether you're looking to buy premium beer, jewelry, stationery, condoms or a feminist birthday gift for the kid in your life, there's a female-founded, female-run, fair trade, eco-friendly, altruistic, feminist company just waiting for your patronage . So before you hit the usual guilty pleasure stores and websites, check out these nine cool feminist companies. Because being kind to yourself while crushing the patriarchy is a feminist dream .
1. Queer Book Committee
If you have a niece, nephew, or children of your own, you should definitely consider purchasing their next birthday and/or holiday gift from the Queer Book Council. The Queer Book Committee, led by Jacinta Bunnell, is dedicated to creating coloring books that support all sexual orientations and gender identities. Additionally, some of their materials, like The Big Gay Coloring Book , are designed to teach kids about some of LGBTQP culture's most memorable triumphs.
2. Jackalope Brewing Company
If you love beer and enjoy supporting female entrepreneurship and female friendships, you may want to go ahead and plan a weekend trip to Jackalope Brewing Company in Nashville, Tennessee. Or, at least, take a peek at their website and check out some of their sweet treats — like beer soap and high socks.
Jackalope Brewing Company only launched in 2011, but founders Bailey Spaulding and Robyn Virball have actually been friends since 2002, when they were just two college students living in Scotland. Now, the ladies have their own brewery and eight original beers on tap, including ales, stouts, pilsners and more. Also, their unofficial motto is "Believe in Yourself" and their official motto is "Drink the Legend". Oh, and their mascot is a freaking jackalope. Not to love all kinds of things?
3. Thin lines
As we've briefly discussed, THINX does a really good job marketing it, so you've probably already heard of them. However, I still feel the need to write down why you should support them because they are revolutionary.
Founded by Antonia Dunbar and twin sisters Radha Agrawal and Miki Agrawal, THINX is a company "dedicated to breaking the taboo around menstruation." As if that wasn’t cool enough, THINX also offers job opportunities for both Western and non-Western women. These period panties are designed by women in New York and made by women in Sri Lanka "in a family-run factory dedicated to providing female employees with supplemental education and training so they can become leaders in their communities."
Feminist appeal aside, every time someone buys a pair of THINX period panties, a portion of the proceeds is donated to charity AFRIpads, which trains women to make and sell washable pads so girls don't have to skip school when they get their period. . yes!
4. maintain
Well, I personally can't vouch for Sustain's products, but they are the only company I've heard of that sells all-natural, fair trade, eco-friendly, vegan condoms designed specifically for women. Plus, Sustain is probably the most socially conscious condom company on the planet.
Not only are Sustain's products natural and ethical, but 10% of the company's pre-tax profits are donated to women who currently lack access to family planning, sex education and other basic healthcare. I don't know about you, but personally, reading about Sustain made me excited to spend money on condoms for the first time.
5. Stout Beer Company
I love beer, so I just had to add one more brewery - and Stout's is amazing, not to mention. Offering 12 different styles of craft beer, Stoudt's is located in Adamstown, Pennsylvania and was founded in 1987 by former kindergarten teacher and mother Carol Stoudt . Stout was the first woman to open a brewery since Prohibition, and she managed to keep the place afloat while raising five children. (Yes, that's right, five! ) Her industry nickname is "The Hop Queen," and apparently her cool knows no bounds.
6. Crow + Lily
If you love beautiful things and love that your fashion helps marginalized women in countries like Ethiopia find secure jobs, healthcare, and education, then you need to shop at Raven + Lily. It's a bit pricey, but if you can afford it, consider it.
Raven + Lily was born out of founder and CEO Kirsten Dickerson's desire to combine her passion for social justice with her love of fashion. Prior to founding Raven + Lily, Dixon spent 15 years styling in the film industry and working with global nonprofits such as Compassion International. Raven + Lily currently helps more than 1,500 marginalized women find employment around the world, and their wares are ethereal daydreams.
7. Flora Stationery
I realize the stationary thing is a bit old fashioned. Personally, I don't think I've used any of this stuff since I graduated high school in 2008, because of Facebook. Even if you don't use stationery, you should still check out Flora Stationary. In addition to notecards, Flora Stationary also sells beautiful coloring books, journals, pencil bags, and printables. But more importantly, Flora Stationary is a non-profit organization and their products feature original artwork by Kosovar students. Twin sisters Ashley and Victoria Vanbsukirk founded Flora Stationary to provide Eastern European women with the opportunity to receive a university education. By donating a portion of the profits from each sale, Flora Stationary is able to support young women throughout their college semesters.
8. Future Honor Company
Future Glory Co. is very expensive for this humble blogger. However, if you're lucky enough to spend a few bucks on a bag, you should consider browsing the Future Glory Co. catalog. Not only are all of Future Glory Co.'s products handcrafted in San Francisco (Theresa Lee and Jennie Chen founded the company), but a portion of every purchase is donated to local organizations dedicated to helping those who have been sexually exploited. Female victims and domestic violence.
9. Goldie Bullocks
Goldieblox is a toy company that hopes to get more girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. The company is based in engineering and was founded by Debbie Sterling, a leading figure in the movement to encourage girls to pursue historically male-dominated fields of engineering and technology. No wonder the video above is such a hit - this is some great feminist company.
Image: THINX; Queer Book Council
