If there’s one thing we love, it’s seeing incredible womxn from all over the world fight for equal rights between the sexes. Feminism, at its core, is the belief that womxn are equal to men – seems pretty obvious, right?

Every decade sees its own social, political, and economic movements dedicated to fighting the good fight of womxn’s rights. But what does feminism in 2021 look like, and which womxn’s rights influencers should we be keeping an eye on?

Here’s your RBL guide to the top feminists to watch this year.

What does feminism mean in 2021?

First, let’s look at what’s going on with feminism in 2021. How is it different and what issues should we be advocating for? One thing to remember is that the word womxn is inclusive – our beautiful trans friends need to be included in the feminist movement, along with anyone else who identifies as female. Intersectionality needs to be part of feminism. Let’s support everyone into the fold!

So, what are some of the feminist issues we need to fight for in 2021? Well, if we want to achieve true equality, we need to address the wage gap. The median full-time female worker makes just 81.6 cents for every dollar her male equal earns. This is a damn serious issue, especially as the cost of living keeps increasing each year.

Feminism also needs to do more to address gender-based violence, educational disparity (especially in STEM fields), stigma against periods and menstrual cycles, and underrepresentation in politics.

If you’re looking for a direction for your feminist rage and energy, we need all the help we can get on the above causes. Speak up, write to your local elected officials, and take the time to learn more about these issues and why they’re so important.

Image by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash: Womxn’s rights influencers are womxn to watch this year – they’re inspiring students and young people all around the globe.

Womxn to watch this year

Womxn’s rights activists today are standing up for all sorts of important issues across the globe. You go gal – that’s what we like to see.

Here’s RBL’s list of six dead-set awesome womxn who are changing the game when it comes to feminism.

Samhita Mukhopadhyay

Samhita is a writer, feminist, and Executive Editor at Teen Vogue, a magazine that has gone from a fashion focus (no shame, we love fashion too!) to covering the hard-hitting issues facing young people today.

She’s also the editor of the anthology, Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance and Revolution in Trump’s America. We love that Samhita uses her voice and influence to get important feminist issues into the wider media, with plenty of poignant thoughts on race, gender, culture, and feminism.

Kamala Harris

High up on the list of things we’re loving about 2021 so far has to be seeing a womxn in the White House. While we can’t wait for the day we get to look up to a Madam President, new VP Kamala Harris is a role model for womxn everywhere who dream of the Oval Office.

Harris has been known to always speak her mind, all while kickin’ butt in her Converse, so we can’t wait to see what she does over the next four years to not only improve the rights of womxn, but also to tackle race issues in America.

Geena Rocero

We love Geena Rocero for her activism and open support of the feminist movement. Not only does she work as a supermodel (damn!), she was also one of the first openly transgender models to feature on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

She’s an outspoken advocate for feminism, having given talks on the subject to the UN, the White House, and the World Economic Forum. Rocero also founded Gender Proud, a media company that aims to amplify voices in the transgender community.

We love that she’s such an amazing role model for trans womxn, all while juggling multiple careers – smashing it!

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, serves as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district. Oh, and she’s also the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress – and she didn’t waste any time giving it the shake-up it needs.

Famously, AOC once said, “Women like me aren't supposed to run for office”, and has been fighting tirelessly ever since for womxn’s rights and advocating for immigration and health care reform. We can’t wait to see the leaps and bounds she makes over her career to bring a fresh new voice to feminist issues.

Malala Yousafzai

Can you imagine living in a world where you didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, or to give your daughters the chance to do so? It seems unimaginable, but this is the reality in parts of the world like Taliban-controlled Pakistan.

Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban for advocating for the basic right of girls to get an education. She’s since gone on to spearhead a worldwide movement on equality, especially when it comes to education. She was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts, so we know she’s going to have plenty to say in 2021.

If you’re looking for a read that’s equal parts inspiring and sobering, check out her memoir, I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

Tarana Burke

If there’s one hashtag that’s become synonymous with feminism, it’s #MeToo. It sucks to see, but seems like almost everyone we know can relate to the #MeToo movement on a personal level – sexism and harassment is commonplace just about everywhere, from bars to the workplace.

However, one badass feminist wanted to do something about it. Tarana Burke started the #MeToo movement with a single tweet in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein era, asking womxn to comment “me too” if they’d also been harassed.

Burke continues to fight for equality, currently as the Senior Director of Girls for Gender Equity, a non-profit which helps womxn and girls of color to increase their opportunities and fight issues like racism, inequality, and homophobia.

So there you have it: some of the coolest feminist babes out there to watch in 2021. We have a feeling 2021 is going to be damn awesome when it comes to progressing the feminist movement.

Featured image by Drop the Label Movement on Unsplash