HOW TO BE A GOOD MALE FEMINIST

So You Want to Be a Male Feminist? Here Are 11 Simple Rules to Follow

 By Derrick Clifton October 21, 2014

LIKE MIC ON FACEBOOK:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Aziz Ansari. John Legend.

These are a few of many male celebrities who have recently come out as feminists. Emma Watson's high-profile #HeForShe campaign and the White House's launch of #ItsOnUs against sexual violence have encouraged many more men to think critically about feminism. More importantly, about why it's necessary to affirm and practice gender equality, given the many ways institutional sexism and the patriarchy have created environments whereconventionally white, masculine, cisgender men have power and privilege.

Keep in mind that a feminist, as defined by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes (and various gender identities). Although some believe that men have no place in the movement, others argue that strategic social movements should build bridges of solidarity. It's not about focusing or coddling men, but instead about recognizing that people who have privilege can operate with respect and understanding by taking the leads from those who have been marginalized.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivers a TEDx presentation entitled, "We Should All Be Feminists."

Source: TEDxTalks via YouTube

For men who wish to truly engage in the struggle for gender equality, here are some ways they can helphelp while remaining cognizant of how their identities may limit their understanding of women's struggles:

1. Understand that women are leading the way and affirm their capable leadership. Don't assert yourself at the forefront.

Feminism has primarily been a movement for women, led by women. Although bell hooks wrote the iconicFeminism Is for Everybody to encourage all people to become invested in the struggle for gender equality, maleness is still privileged in a society that promotes male perspectives and experiences at the expense of women's.

For men to insist on positioning themselves and their maleness ahead of women's voices is to ignore that a man's voice will, on the whole, be perceived as more legitimate, even when he's not speaking with any authority or accuracy on issues pertaining to women.

2. When it comes to issues that directly pertain to women's bodies and experiences, be quiet and listen.

For people who have penises and a male reproductive system, they will never know what it's like to have a period, go through menopause or bear children. If a man is conventionally masculine, straight and not transgender, he is much less likely to encounter street harassment and sexual assault or be told that his gender innately makes him unfit to fully participate in various aspects of the workplace. And should he dare to speak up in favor of gender equality, he likely won't face online harassment, including death and rape threats, as was recently the case for feminist gaming critic Anita Sarkeesian. 

Instead of talking over women or worse, making unfounded assumptions about what they experience on a daily basis, be quiet and listen to what women have to say, and redirect other men to their voices.

3. Men don't get to determine if they are "allies" to the feminist movement. Women do.

As a man, being a feminist isn't some special badge you earn after going to a rally, speaking out for gender equality or holding another man accountable for sexist behavior. It's not about getting "ally cookies" or a pat on the back every time you do something that's considered pro-feminism. Rather, it's about making sure your actions aren't sexist, transphobic or reinforcements of gender-based bigotry. It is not going above and beyond to act respectfully and in solidarity with women working towards gender equality. 

4. Take responsibility for addressing men's issues with other men, rather than expecting women in feminism to do all of the work.

So-called men's rights activists gather at a 2014 conference in Detroit.

Source: A Voice For Men via YouTube

Men who are ignorant about feminism — and even so-called men's rights activists — often critique feminists for not addressing what they describe as men's struggles. Some of these issues include the disproportionately high male suicide rate, how the court system regards fathers in custody battles and the perceived abandonment of survivors of sexual violence. 

On the one hand, these criticisms miss a pretty large point: Feminism can, and already has, helped men as well as women. 

Additionally, men, especially white men, are already positioned to work towards resolutions, since institutional sexism gives them a disproportionate hold on the levers of power. Instead of railing against the women in feminism, it's important that men take steps to work with each other, as well as with feminist leaders, to recognize how the struggle for gender equality plays a key role in many of these efforts.

5. Use your male privilege to encourage other men to work towards gender equality, under women's leadership.

Source: Manish Swarup/AP

Once you feel that you have a stable understanding of what it means to be a feminist, motivate other men you know to join in the push for gender equality. Being a feminist shouldn't be seen as a chore, a job or a simple label, but rather as a lifelong commitment to ensuring that institutional sexism comes to an end. 

But, as the CEO of Microsoft recently learned, that commitment should run deeper than tokenization, or telling women, from a position of privilege, how they should approach key issues such as the gender pay gap.

6. Don't use the label of "feminist" as a way to try to get women to like you — that's disingenuous and counterproductive.

We've all heard the horror stories of men using feminism to get dates or new female friends, thinking the label may prove they are somehow "softer" and not as ignorant as more conventionally masculine "bro" types. 

However, this "nice guy" approach can backfire. Beware of the male feminist who behaves as though his feminist sympathizing makes him more entitled to female sexual attention, even when he shows little to no understanding of his privilege. Instead, this logic objectifies and belittles women with the assumption that they can be manipulated into liking someone who really doesn't care about their position in society. 

7. When given opportunities to execute professional tasks related to feminist issues, consider referring other women instead.

Former professor and news commentator Hugo Schwyzer appears on CNN to discuss sexual harassment in schools.

Source: CNN Video

Women have been at the forefront of feminism and civil rights efforts for more than 100 years. But by and large, institutional sexism often renders women and their experiences invisible, because male needs, thoughts and opinions are usually elevated above their female counterparts'. 

So when organizations or news outlets ask for a "male perspective" on issues such as feminism and gender equality, ask what the needs and goals of the conversation are in order to discern whether or not you can trulyspeak from a place of experience, education and expertise, especially if the topics are related to issues that mostly affect women. Don't be afraid to suggest a female peer if you're not the best suited for the event or discourse.

8. Educate yourself about the history of feminism and how women of different backgrounds have approached the movement. 

Source: Edward Kitch/AP

Feminism means different things depending on the country, its laws, racial and ethnic groups, class stratification and the prevailing world religion, among other factors. In the United States, feminism encompasses enslaved women writing about their struggle for both their womanhood and for their full humanity to be recognized and respected. It includes the fight for suffrage, reproductive justice, access to education and equal employment opportunities. 

Often, those struggles have privileged the perspectives of mainstream white women, at the expense of women of color who endure universal but differing struggles, given disparities along the lines of race and class. It's all the more important, especially in a "post-racial" society, to make sure the history of feminism isn't whitewashed. 

9. Ensure your feminism is intersectional.

Source: Mikki Kendall via Twitter

Before diving into feminism, men should remember that what's often heard in the mainstream doesn't provide a complete snapshot of the movement.

Many women in feminism have long rallied to ensure that the fight for gender equality is inclusive and cognizant of everyone, including people of color, queer, trans and gender nonconforming people, people with disabilities, differences in class and ability, various faiths and non-faiths and other identities and situations. That's becauseintersectionality ensures that various goals and needs are addressed to truly elevate everyone, rather than focusing on the experiences of those who have relatively more privilege.

It's a critique against mainstream, white-centered feminism levied by Mikki Kendall and feminists around the world in August 2013 with the viral hashtag #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen:

10. Acknowledge that sometimes, women need opportunities to discuss feminist issues without the presence of men. And that's okay.

Participants from the December 2009 conference, titled, The Courage to Lead: A Human Rights Summit for Women Leaders.

Source: United States Mission Geneva via Flickr

When hashing out difficult conversations, ideas and questions about women's issues and the direction of the movement, it can be challenging to deal with interjections from men who derail the conversation due to their relative lack of understanding. 

In addition, some women may feel more comfortable discussing their bodies and their experiences absent the gaze and presence of men, whose thoughts, needs and desires are privileged in virtually all sectors of society. Instead of taking offense, practice respect and compassion by minimizing yourself in the situation, and by simply asking if there's any way you can be helpful outside of the closed dialogue. 

11. When women criticize your involvement in feminism, don't talk over them or talk down to them. Actively listen and be accountable.

Sometimes, in doing the work or attempting to be helpful, people make mistakes, and that's a human thing to do. But listening to constructive criticism and being accountable for missteps is what separates a responsible ally from someone who is clueless about their privilege. 

Instead of talking over women or talking down to them, ask questions about how you can be most helpful. And, given institutionalized sexism and male privilege, figure out how you can work with women in leadership to remedy any damage done. Because that's what true allyship and solidarity look like in feminism.

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Men saying they support feminism is just one small, albeit important, step in breaking down these disparities. Going forward, men need to take the next step: challenge and dismantle their preconceived notions and stereotypes of women and gender identity. They can and should do this while affirming the leadership of the 

REAL MAN WEAR PINK

‪#‎theColorPink‬ Personality color pink
The meaning of the color pink is;
unconditional love and nurturing.

This color represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.

A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.

The color pink represents the sweetness and innocence of the child in all of us. It is the color of uncomplicated emotions.
Pink calms and reassures our emotional energies, alleviating feelings of anger, aggression, resentment, abandonment and neglect. Studies have confirmed that exposure to large amounts of pink can have a calming effect on the nerves and create physical weakness in people. Violent and aggressive prisoners have been successfully calmed by placing them in a pink room for a specified amount of time.
As the Shattered Dreams we are organising a huge event in Hurungwe to advocate for the End of Child Marriages and Gender Based Violence with the message REAL MEN WEAR PINK.
‪#‎EndChildMarriages‬ ‪#‎NoU18Brides‬ ‪#‎STOPGBV‬‪#‎WEAREYOUNGPEOPLE‬

CONFERENCE GOAL
To amplify the voices of students and young people on their Sexual and reproductive health rights, and thus ensure that the regional and global debate on the post 2015 agenda and sustainable development goals considers young people’s SRHR as a priority.
 Conference Strategic Objectives

• To provide a platform for systematically aggregate and amplified voices of students and young people on their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Southern Africa ;
• To provide a platform for collective reflection and analysis on the underlying structural barriers / factors which restrict students and young peoples’ from enjoying their rights;
• To analyse and interrogate strategies that have been implemented in Southern Africa to improve young people’s access to SRH services and suggest  newer and better strategies which will address unmet needs, rights of excluded/underserved  groups, such as students living with HIV, students living with disabilities and young women;
• To build and strengthen students and young people’s solidarity in the region so that they can collectively hold duty bearers to account for promoting, protecting and upholding their SRHR; and
• To strengthen partnerships with development actors in Southern Africa around students and young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.

THE SARSYC

The Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference on sexual and reproductive health (SARSYC) will be held under the theme, YOUTH SRHR AND THE POST2015 AGENDA: A TIME TO INVEST IN YOUNG PEOPLE TO HARNESS THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. The theme of the conference is founded primarily on the proposed incoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the post 2015 development agenda and informed by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The year 2015 marks the end of the lifeline of the MDGs and marks the beginning of the SDGs;  hence the conference will focus on calling the young people from  Southern Africa to take the lead in the post 2015 SRHR Development Agenda through spearheading the attainment of SDGs that uphold young people’s SRHR.
It is further premised on the conceptualisation of young people as a strategic demographic group whose well-being has potential to spur positive socio-economic and political transformations. Within that perspective, guaranteeing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights of young people is not only a human rights imperative, but It is fundamentally a socio-economic and political necessity. The theme captures the intention of students and young people in Southern Africa to inform the post 2015 development agenda as well as other platforms and strategic developmental issues that affect young people.

BILL'S PLAN FOR CLEAN ENERGY-GOING GREEN

Last month, during a trip to Europe, I mentioned that I plan to invest $1 billion in clean energy technology over the next five years. This will be a fairly big increase over the investments I am already making, and I am doing it because I believe that the next half-decade will bring many breakthroughs that will help solve climate change. As I argued in this 2010 TED talk, we need to be able to power all sectors of the economy with sources that do not emit any carbon dioxide.
But when it comes to preventing the worst effects of climate change, the investments I make will matter much less than the choices that governments make. In Europe I got to talk about these choices with several political leaders, and in this post I want to share the steps that I encouraged them to take.
I think this issue is especially important because, of all the people who will be affected by climate change, those in poor countries will suffer the most. Higher temperatures and less-predictable weather would hurt poor farmers, most of whom live on the edge and can be devastated by a single bad crop. Food supplies could decline. Hunger and malnutrition could rise. It would be a terrible injustice to let climate change undo any of the past half-century’s progress against poverty and disease—and doubly unfair because the people who will be hurt the most are the ones doing the least to cause the problem.
In addition to mitigating climate change, affordable clean energy will help fight poverty. Although the Gates Foundation does not fund energy research (my investments are separate), we see through our work with the poorest how the high price of energy affects them by adding to the cost of transportation, electricity, fertilizer, and many other things they need.
I do see some encouraging progress on climate and energy. Environmental advocates deserve credit for getting climate change so high on the world’s agenda. Many countries are committing to put policies in place that reflect the impact of greenhouse gases. The cost of solar photovoltaic cells has dropped by nearly a factor of ten over the past decade, and batteries that store energy created by intermittent sources like solar and wind are getting more powerful and less expensive. Since 2007 the United States has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions nearly 10 percent. Since 1990 Germany has reduced its energy-sector emissions by more than 20 percent.
World leaders will take another critical step this December at a major meeting in Paris called COP21, where they will discuss plans to reduce global CO₂ emissions significantly. COP21 can build a strong foundation for solving the climate crisis—but we will need to go even further.
Scientists generally agree that preventing the worst effects of climate change requires limiting the temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, and that doing so requires the biggest emitters to cut emissions 80 percent by 2050 and all countries to essentially eliminate them by the end of the century. Unfortunately, while we can make progress with today’s tools, they cannot get us to an 80 percent reduction, much less 100 percent. To work at scale, current wind and solar technologies need backup energy sources—which means fossil fuels—for windless days, long periods of cloudy weather, and nighttime. They also require much more space; for example, to provide as much power as a coal-fired plant, a wind farm needs more than 10 times as much land.
These are solvable problems. If we create the right environment for innovation, we can accelerate the pace of progress, develop and deploy new solutions, and eventually provide everyone with reliable, affordable energy that is carbon free. We can avoid the worst climate-change scenarios while also lifting people out of poverty, growing food more efficiently, and saving lives by reducing pollution.
To create this future we need to take several steps:
Create Incentives for Innovation

One step is to lay the foundation for innovation by drastically increasing government funding for research on clean energy solutions. Right now, the world spends only a few billion dollars a year on researching early-stage ideas for zero-carbon energy. It should be investing two or three times that much.
Why should governments fund basic research? For the same reason that companies tend not to: because it is a public good. The benefits to society are far greater than the amount that the inventor can capture. One of the best examples of this is the creation of the Internet. It has led to innovations that continue to change our lives, but none of the companies who deliver those innovations would ever have built it. Similarly, the government’s research into hydraulic fracturing helped create today’s natural gas boom.
Expanding the government’s support for energy research will lead to another important step: attracting more private investment to the field. As early-stage ideas progress, private capital will pour in to build the companies that will deliver those ideas to market. We need hundreds of companies working on thousands of ideas, including crazy-sounding ones that don’t get enough funding, such as high-altitude wind and solar chemical (using the energy of the sun to make hydrocarbons). No one knows which of these technologies will prove powerful enough and easy to scale, so we should be exploring all of them.  
My own personal investments include companies working on new batteries and other storage methods and advances in solar technology. The nuclear design I am investing in would be safer than previous designs and would go a long way toward solving the nuclear waste problem. I spend a lot of time with the CEOs and scientists at all these companies discussing how to build a business around an innovative idea and take a product to market. If government research budgets open up the pipeline of innovation, not only will I expand my investments, but I believe other investors would join me in taking these risks.
Governments need to act quickly, because energy transitions take time. Today, renewables account for less than 5 percent of the world’s energy mix. It took four decades for oil to go from 5 percent of the world’s energy supply to 25 percent. Natural gas took even longer. I believe we can make this transition faster—both because the pace of innovation is accelerating, and because we have never had such an urgent reason to move from one source of energy to another. The sooner we start, the more suffering we can prevent.
Develop Markets That Help Get to Zero

Another important step will be to ensure that the energy market accurately reflects the full impact of emitting carbon. Today the market is not factoring in what economists call the negative externalities—the health costs, environmental damage, and so on. If the market takes these into account, renewable energy will be more competitive with fossil fuels, which will attract more innovators to the field. Many countries and states are experimenting with different ways to price carbon. Whatever approach we take, it should create incentives to develop new energy solutions while also giving energy companies enough certainty to plan and execute the transition to zero-carbon sources.
We can also be smarter about how we use subsidies. The IMF estimates that direct subsidies for fossil fuels amount to nearly $500 billion a year worldwide, shielding consumers from their true costs. Some subsidies for deploying renewable energy are also very inefficient, creating big incentives to install solar panels where it’s often not sunny or wind turbines where it’s not windy. We should be looking for ways to reduce these subsidies and invest the savings in the basic R&D that will help solve the problem.
Treat Poor Countries Fairly

Unfortunately, even if we could roll out the ideal zero-carbon solution tomorrow, some climate change is inevitable, and it will hit the world’s poor the hardest. The countries that have done the most to cause this problem have a responsibility to not only invest in mitigation, but also help poor countries adapt to a changing climate. For our part, the Gates Foundation is concentrating on one key aspect of adaptation: helping small farmers—who make up the majority of the world’s poor—adjust to hotter, more unpredictable weather by raising agricultural productivity. I will be writing more about this work later this year.
As for next steps, I’m optimistic that the spotlight of the COP meeting in Paris will help motivate governments to step up their research budgets. In my view, innovation is essential to human progress. Some people would say that it is the lens I use to look at every problem, and I have to admit that there is some truth to that. But I believe it is justified by history. In my lifetime innovation has helped eradicate one deadly disease (smallpox) and put us on the brink of a second (polio). We have cut the fraction of children who die every year by a factor of four. Digital technology has revolutionized the way people live. We can create a zero-carbon future too, if we commit to it.

NoU18BRIDES

31% of Zimbabwean young women aged 20-24 years were married before the age of 18 according to recent statistics. In addition to this, Zimbabwe's ranking by countries with the highest number of underage girls who get married - has moved from position 27 in 2012 to 21 in 2013. This means daily, girls below the age of 18 are placed at risk of being married off and losing their childhood.

Child marriage puts girls' lives in grave danger from the challenges of early pregnancy. Given that 90% of adolescent pregnancies in the developing world are to girls who are already married, child marriage almost always leads to teenage pregnancy. This places girls in increasing vulnerability to the complications of pregnancy and child birth which are the leading cause of death of adolescent girls worldwide. Girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years are five times more likely to die from the complications of pregnancy and child birth whilst girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years are two times more at risk that those aged 20-24 years.

Child brides face high chances of experiencing domestic violence which includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They are almost always forced to leave school thereby significantly reducing their likelihood of entering productive employment and being economically empowered This leaves them prone to more abuse because of low decision making power fuelled by financial dependence and a poverty of mind.

Due to lack of knowledge and power in marriage, child brides are particularly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Child marriage also forces girls into early sexual activity at a time when they know little about their bodies, sexual and reproductive health or contraception. 

15 million girls a year are married before 18. That’s the equivalent of the population of Zimbabwe or Mali. A growing number of leaders across Africa are committing to ending the practice, but more needs to be done. Here’s how leaders can take action: ‪#‎NoU18Brides‬

Tapi Gutu: #GIRLS NOT BRIDES I WAS THERE WHEN ZIMBABWE COMMI...

Tapi Gutu: #GIRLS NOT BRIDES  I WAS THERE WHEN ZIMBABWE COMMI...: #GIRLS NOT BRIDES  I WAS THERE WHEN ZIMBABWE COMMITTED TO END CHILD MARRIAGE. SPREAD THE WORD END CHILD MARRIAGE

#GIRLS NOT BRIDES
 I WAS THERE WHEN ZIMBABWE COMMITTED TO END CHILD MARRIAGE.
SPREAD THE WORD END CHILD MARRIAGE

Tapi Gutu: INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHERN GOSPELSouthern gospel m...

Tapi Gutu: INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHERN GOSPEL

Southern gospel m...: INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHERN GOSPEL Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music . Its name comes from its origins in the Southeastern...

INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHERN GOSPEL

Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the Southeastern United States whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music. Sometimes known as "quartet music" for its traditional "four men and a piano" set up, southern gospel has evolved over the years into a popular form of music across the United States and overseas, especially amongst baby boomers and those living in the Southern United States. Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of southern gospel varies according to culture and social context. It is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace.

GROUNDS MEN

As a young person I took it upon myself to help the young people by giving them knowledge {ASRH} knowledge. I call myself a grounds person,

The Road of my music carrier now on the verge of its awakening, after years of trying to figure out which genre will I be in, with dance hall being already ruled out not because I hate it but because of the crowd already married to the genre I was left with Hip Hop and RnB but with the profile I keep and m not much of a flamboyant person so I was left with only gospel.
Gospel mmmmmm eish which type of gospel now??????I love Charles Charamba , Kudzie Nyakudya, Sebastian Magacha, Mathias Mhere and others but I cannot imitate their gospel genre not that I can not but it isn't my style so let me introduce my genre Southern Gospel Convection Tune