Women are more than twice as likely to be asked to make tea – or asked how their kids are – than men.
These moments might seem small, but they’re a microcosm of the sexism women face every day. It’s nothing new, with 50% of women saying they’ve been discriminated against because of their gender — and that’s just in the workplace.
In a quiet but defiant way of pushing back against daily inequalities, women are turning to ‘microfeminisms’ —the internet term for subtle acts of feminist resistance. The trend began on TikTok, with videos hitting tens of millions of views before spilling onto X.
Micro feminisms for sexist remarks
Need a pre-prepared answer for the same old tired sexist comments you’ve heard over and over again? These women have got you covered.
TikToker @TheFitFem combats mansplaining by turning it on its head: ‘[My micro feminism] is asking men to explain their sexist jokes to me.’
In a similar vein @VickyHodgskin said: ‘If I’m catcalled I ask them to repeat themselves, I feign that I didn’t hear them the first time. I’ll ask them to repeat a couple of times until they look ashamed. It normally only takes twice. It feels empowering!’
And @subsist3nce says that when she faces ‘mansplaining’ , she simply asks ‘Why do you think I wouldn’t know this?’.
Ever been told you’re good at something ‘for a woman’, as if it’s a shortcoming? X user @Sandrachen flips this on its head when talking to men. She wrote: ‘Mine is adding “for a man“ if I compliment a man for something.’
Micro feminisms in the workplace
The use of gender biased language and stereotypes are common in the workplace, with 46% of UK employees using male-centric terminology in the office, according to research by Samsung.
This makes a quarter of workers feel dismissed, but there are some micro feminisms you can implement to battle this bias.
For @restingmom_face, her micro feminism is: ‘Asking a man in the meeting to take notes for the group.’ She also adds that she likes ‘holding doors for men.’
While @KatieWood on TikTok always assumes CEOs or board members are women. She had other tips too, adding: ”Saying Ms instead of Miss or Mrs, because Ms doesn’t mean your married or unmarried – it means that you don’t know or don’t care.
‘When sending a calendar invite, I will ask the men in the group to send it or a specific man.’
This is a good one, given that the same study found women are twice as likely to be asked to do menial or admin-based tasks than men.
Microfeminisms - petty or proactive?
Psychologist Ruth Kudzi, tells Metro that micro feminisms are a great way for women to ‘take back some psychological power’.
‘They work on the premise that small actions can have big results,’ she explains. ‘A big part of sexism is about the way that we’re perceived, so if there are small things which over time change the perception of women and give men a space to reflect on their assumptions, biases and beliefs, it could be a powerful vehicle for change.’
By dotting these micro feminisms throughout our day, psychologist Ruth believes that this exposure to changes in languages and behaviour from women can become ’embedded in neural pathways’ giving men a desire to think differently.
To those who say these comments and quips are petty, Ruth says otherwise. ‘They aren’t petty or passive aggressive,’ she points out.
‘When you’re exposed to sexist behaviour and attitudes it can reduce your confidence, impact your self esteem and self identity and mean you’re less likely to speak up.
‘If these behaviours help women to feel they have more ownership of who they are and they are having an influence over attitudes and behaviours it’s going to make them feel more positive.’
TikToker @ellalowgren had some other micro feminisms for the workplace. She said: ‘I find in general at work that I’m not interrupted by women in meetings but I am often interrupted by men. I will interrupt them back, but I will never interrupt another woman when she’s speaking.’
‘This one I’m pretty feral for,’ she added, ‘but I will not stop talking if I’m interrupted by a man. I will keep talking until he becomes so uncomfortable that he stops talking.’
For @SBD she shares a brilliant way she interacts with guys at her job. She wrote: ‘I make sure to tell our married male customers to discuss my offer with their wife before signing on the dotted line. The looks I get are insane and it fuels my heart.’
Micro feminisms and parenting
When @dorfkindmama sees a man at work or on a business trip, she said on X that she makes a point to ask who is taking care of his children while he’s there.
It’s a similar tactic @LauraJH also uses: ‘When I bump into a dad I know at the supermarket, if we stop for a chat, I always ask him where his kids are.
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‘It’s normally met with a semi-confused face and [the words] “oh, they’re at home with their mum” – obviously who else has got them?
‘So, then I follow it up with an “oh, she gave you a break to come shopping by yourself… that’s nice of her to give you a break”. It goes straight over their head but I know I’ve done my bit.’
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