FEMINIST FRIDAY – The Money Talk, 21st Century Feminism & Female Candidates In Saudi Arabia

Y’all know what time it is – Feminist Friday! It’s our favorite day of the week, not just because it’s the start of the weekend, but because we get to kick back, watch and recap our favorite videos of the week AND share them with you! This week’s edition will give you an idea of just how wide-ranging feminism is in terms of the topics it influences, from money, to politics to how college students view feminism in today’s world.

We focus a lot on gender equality around the world, and to fully ensure this becomes a reality, it HAS to include money. Last year, the UN launched it’s Sustainable Development Goals in order to alleviate poverty by 2030, acknowledging that equality cannot happen without economic empowerment for women. But it’s not just the developing world that should be revolutionizing its economy with its focus on women’s participation.

For many of us, talking about our finances can be stressful, scary, and anxiety-inducing. With the ushering in of Sheryl Sandberg’s culture-defining “Lean In” movement, women are talking about money more than ever before, and the ways in which we can take ownership of how we negotiate raises, how we invest, save, and share it with those in our lives. Sometimes we need some encouragement and examples to get us started, which is exactly what the Soul Pancake team have done with this video. ‘It’s Time For The Talk’ shows how a variety of people talk about money in their own lives, and why it is something we should be doing also:

The second video is not made with a huge budget, nor does it star any big Hollywood names. But in a sense it could be seen as something far more important than a big-screen blockbuster, because it gives you a glimpse into the mind of the next generation.

Canadian College student Clinton Nellist who attends the University of Victoria in British Columbia asked his fellow students and some of his professors what they thought of feminism and gender equality. We came across this video while doing a search on feminism and were struck by the honesty and candor of the students.

It’s easy to talk about the big mainstream feminist stories, but part of why we started this series as well as our Feminist Conversations series was to break down stigma, further the conversation, and be aware of how society views feminism today.

Clinton has done a great job of reminding us that in order for feminism to continue to be relevant and understood, we need the younger generation to realize what it is and how it benefits people all over the world. Watch his mini-doc ‘Feminism in the 21st Century’:

The final video we are excited to share is also a mini documentary. ‘Ladies First: Saudi Arabia’s Female Candidates’ was released by the New York Times and was made by filmmakers Mona El-Naggar and Adam Bolt. This fascinating short documentary takes us behind the scenes of the historic decision to allow Saudi Arabian women to not only vote, but also run for office, in 2015.

Although women are still not allowed to drive, this step is important for women’s progress in Saudi Arabia. There is a long way to go until we see the end of the horrific treatment of women in the country, but allowing women to run for office on a municipal level where they can influence local law and culture could potentially be a gateway to much more.

For those of us living in the United States, engrossed in the current US presidential election, it’s great to take a step back from our own perspective on politics and see how the power to vote affects other women, especially women, around the world.