In November of 2024, I had the privilege of attending a FAWCO regional meeting hosted by AWC Berlin. There I asked a fellow member about her experience attending past CSW sessions. She used adjectives such as “amazing, inspiring, overwhelming” and enthusiastically encouraged me to go. After considering logistics for about five minutes, I was convinced. Four short months later, after my (admittedly jetlagged) first day at the conference, I knew exactly why she had chosen those descriptors.
Making a plan
In the weeks leading up to CSW, we were coached about what to expect with a very thorough FAWCO Zoom orientation and a lively chat group filled with supportive advice. We were encouraged to choose a focus for our attendance, which made it easier to navigate the seemingly endless learning opportunities. I have a personal passion for access to education for girls and women, so that seemed like a natural choice. In the weeks leading up to the conference, I outlined a schedule and (after a bit of a wait for my badge) hit the ground running on opening day. (The energy, as promised, was “amazing.”)
Overwhelm
I watched scholarly presentations with encouraging statistics about how education disrupts human trafficking and child marriage. (“Inspiring” indeed.) I heard heartbreaking accounts of the increasing normalization of families ignoring daughters and focusing all educational resources on sons. While I didn’t expect to always be surrounded by harmonious sisterhood, I was surprised by some of the acerbic confrontations that played out during Q&A sessions. (Enter “overwhelm.”)
Choose your battles
At a subsequent panel discussion, a familiar phrase caught my fractured attention. “Choose your battles.” I was bewildered. Within the context of these sessions, ALL of the issues facing women and girls around the world suddenly seemed equally important and urgent. During the conference, policy statements were issued that seemed to double down on reversing progress. My overwhelm multiplied. The idea of “choosing a battle” left me edgy and restless. Where to start? Which battle? Aside from what I consider my basic civic duties, I’ve never considered myself to be a very political person and would never describe myself as an activist.
Microfeminism
I was lucky enough to attend both weeks and after a weekend away, I came back with calmer energy. As I was organizing myself to attend the second week, I reviewed everything I had collected. (And vowed not to pick up more handouts.) As I sorted through materials I had picked up the first week, I came across a notebook that I had received from a generous fellow attendee the week before. On the cover, written at the top in bold writing was the word “Microfeminism.” A description of “small, everyday actions that promote equality” followed, highlighting opportunities to change how we move through the world and the language we use.
Moving forward
I considered everyday life with its hundreds of subtle moments that each require their own brand of courage. I found tiny battles I could fight every time I stopped to listen. I heard them everywhere. “She’s not even married!” “She travels all the time for work – she has someone else raise her kids.” “She looks great for her age.” Long-accepted turns of phrase and metaphors that even flitted through my own mind. Now, when I hear them from others, I stop and ask about them, with genuine curiosity because I truly wonder how we’ve gotten here. I haven’t chosen a major battle, but this exercise is meaningful to me. If I can shift my language, I can push others to do the same. If we can shift the narrative in everyday life, we can push ourselves a little further toward equality.