Why I Started Feminist Friends

As a mom of three, one daughter and two sons, I'm concerned about the world we're leaving to our children. Be it climate change, the refugee crisis, military conflicts, or the continued oppression of women and other marginalized communities across the world, we still have a number of big problems to solve. While I can't do too much about the refugee crisis or military conflicts (other than support non-profits, vote, and write my elected officials), I'm trying to do what I can to stop the degradation of the environment and the continued oppression of women.

There are still so many issues that girls and women face today:

Sexism: Women still face sexism and misogyny in many areas of their lives, including in the workplace, in social settings, and particularly online. Women are often targeted with verbal abuse and threats in online spaces, particularly on social media platforms. This can take the form of sexist slurs, threats of violence, or sexual harassment.

Violence Against Women: Women are more likely to experience violence than men, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. This issue affects women across all demographics, but especially women of colour.

Reproductive Rights: Access to reproductive healthcare, including birth control and abortion, is a significant issue for many women worldwide. Laws and policies around these issues vary widely around the world and millions of women face significant obstacles in accessing the health care they need.

Political Representation: Women are often underrepresented in politics and government, with fewer women holding political office than men. This limits their ability to have their voices heard on issues that affect them and can lead to policies that do not adequately represent women's needs and interests.

Gender-Based Pay and Leadership Gap: Women continue to earn less than men on average across most industries and job positions around the world. There are also significantly fewer women than men in C-level positions at companies around the world.

Body Image: Women are often pressured to conform to particular beauty standards, leading to unnecessary time, effort, and money spent on changing themselves, resulting in body shame and low self-esteem.

Motherhood Penalty: Women who choose to have children often face discrimination in the workplace, including lower pay, fewer promotions, and limited leadership opportunities.

Access to Education: Many girls and women around the world have limited access to education, which limits their opportunity to make informed decisions and take control of their lives. This perpetuates the inequality they already face and traps them into domestic life.

Objectified in the Media: Women are often objectified and sexualized in the media, which can lead to a negative self-image and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes more broadly.

At Feminist Friends, we only create content and products that represent and support girls and women in a way that is empowering and uplifting. Representation is always top of mind for us as is creating products and resources that will help inspire and aid girls and women to become leaders in their communities and in the world. We also donate 15% of profits to organizations that support girls and women across the globe so that we do what we can to help all the issues that girls and women face.

At Feminist Friends, I’m also out to prove that a sustainable business can thrive without always seeking to make the product at the lowest price. Making things cheaply comes at a cost to those making the product and a cost to the earth, which I’m simply not willing to do. The supply chain, manufacturing, and end-use are all considered when creating new products. Our stickers are made with compostable paper and non-toxic inks. Our pins and charms are made with recycled acrylic that can be recycled again when they've reached the end of their life. We carbon offset all of our shipping. Our printable products save carbon emissions from shipping altogether. And you can be certain that any future products' environmental impact will always be carefully considered. 

My biggest hope for Feminist Friends is that it makes this beautiful but challenging world just a little bit better for my kids and for all kids. 

- Casey Sharp, Founder, Feminist Friends