Monday at Midday #mondayatmidday
What if we all took one small step every Monday to break down the patriarchy?
(And white supremacy, ableism, ageism, transphobia, homophobia, classism, and colonialism.)
If we come together, coordinating and recording our efforts, with a focus on eliminating structural inequality in all its forms, what might we achieve in just one year, one decade, one generation?
Welcome to Mondays at Midday.
The idea here is simple; consistent, collective advocacy creates significant social change.
Right now our focus is on eliminating violence against women.
And the question I have for you is this; what simple action might you take this coming Monday to advocate for the elimination of violence against women?
NB: When I speak about violence against women I'm referring to harassment, coercion, rape and sexual assault, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, the objectification of women's bodies, and domestic and family violence (specifically noting the disproportionate impact of these violations on women with disabilities, as well as black, indigenous and women of colour).
Why Mondays and why midday?
This was inspired by a recent march I attended that was organised by the Women's March 4 Justice. It happened on Monday at midday and as I walked through the crowd, I saw a sign that said, 'On Mondays we Smash the Patriarchy'.
It got me wondering; how might we tangibly do that every week?
Two nights later I woke in the middle of the night to the words; #mondayatmidday. I saw that a simple question - What are you doing on Monday at midday? - might serve to keep us collectively motivated and focused on the task at hand.
What might a simple action focused on eliminating violence against women look like?
Here are some ideas for simple steps you could take each week (or coordinate with other people so the burden of advocacy is shared and not shouldered by a small number of individuals).
Click on each box to find out more (if the box doesn't send you anywhere, we're still building out that page).
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- if you're in Canberra, Australia we're creating a weekly walking memorial each week at Parliament House. Find out more here.
- if you're in any other part of the world, you might do something similar. Perhaps a perambulation won't work but you could easily stand at the front of the offices of your local, state, provincial, or federal parliamentarians with signs asking what they've done to eliminate violence against women this week.
- write to your MP each week asking what they've done about eliminating violence against women
- teach your son what enthusiastic consent looks and sounds like. Sharing this speech could be a good starting point.
- lobby for a domestic violence disclosure scheme in your state or region
- create a social media post each Monday calling for an end to violence against women and tagging your MP
- gather with other women in your community to share stories each week. Find a way to collate those stories - in a book, online, via a specific social media account - to continue validating the experiences of survivors and raising awareness about the issues
- donate money to an organisation working to eliminate violence against women
- host Monday lunch meetings with your colleagues inviting experts to speak about combatting toxic masculinity, social inequality, and violence against women
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educate people about what a trauma response looks like
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speak up about the objectification of women and the ways it promotes violence against women
- read, listen to, or watch a woman's survival story and promote it in your community or on social media on Monday at midday.
And because it's essential to take a holistic approach and look toward eliminating violence whilst not forgetting survivors of past violence, the action you take might be around supporting survivors. If that's you, be sure to let us know the simple step you're taking each week to either heal yourself or support other women to heal.
Remember, the idea is that small consistent actions create sustainable change.
It's time to speak up. To say #enoughisenough. To use our voices together. To meet structural inequality with the power of the collective.
Individually we won't make it. Together we're invincible.
Get involved
STEP 1: Come on over to our FB Group Women Speaking Up so you can stay up to date with all the Monday at Midday information and connect with other people participating. If you're unsure what action to take, you'll find a weekly prompt inside the Women Speaking Up group which outlines a simple, practical action you can take that week to get involved.
STEP 2: If you're starting an initiative we should know about, please complete the survey on this page. We'll then add your details to the Monday at Midday website so other people can find you and get involved.
STEP 3: Whatever action you take, if you use the hashtag #mondayatmidday we'll find you and start collating the initiatives happening globally to inspire others to join in and eliminate violence against women once and for all.
Things to remember...
Whatever ideas you have for #mondayatmidday make sure they're simple, repeatable and something that's easy to get involved in.
Remember, online events are just as important as in-person events and are critical for women who are unable to participate in in-person events.
#Mondayatmidday events do not need to be carried by one person or one small group of people. The women of the world are already doing sooo much. Therefore, the more we work together, the more opportunities there will be for all to raise their voices, and the more likely it will be that we can maintain momentum throughout the year. We all know this is a marathon and not a sprint so please keep that in mind when it comes to deciding on your #mondayatmidday initiative.
And finally, a word about self-care
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. All initiatives and all efforts are valuable and welcome. You may even have started an initiative that doesn't involve anyone but yourself. We are still very interested in hearing from you. Your willingness to share your actions or ideas might be just the inspiration another person needs to do something similar in their own life. Please complete the survey here so we can find out more about what you're doing.
No. Any day of the week (and any time of the day) is fine. We simply use the idea of Monday at midday as a way to remind ourselves to take action every week and to coordinate people's social media posts to create a collective impact.
That'd be me! Samantha Nolan-Smith. I'm the CEO and founder of the School of Visibility, an online school for women who want to speak up, use their voices, and create a positive impact in the world. You can find out more about The School of Visibility right here.
