Somewhere along the way in their lives, men are taught to believe that their voices, opinions and lives are more important than those of women’s. They are wrong and I am disgusted with this antiquated point of view. I am tired of the men in my life who talk about women’s equality, but do not put their verbal support into practice. You do not support women, and here is a list of reasons why.

If you interrupt a woman, you do not support women.

If you talk over a woman, you do not support women.

If you do not listen to a woman when she tells you that she feels unsafe and you do not change your actions to make her feel safe, you do not support women. 

If you believe that it is more important for women to learn how to prevent sexual harassment/assault than it is for men to learn not to commit acts of sexual harassment/assault, you do not support women.

If you sit idly by and allow friends or family to mistreat a woman, you do not support women.

If you speak of, or allow those close to you to speak of, women as a prize or trophy, you do not support women.

If you try to tell a woman what she should or should not wear, you do not support women.

If you base a woman’s credibility on her physical attributes and not her skills and experiences, you do not support women.

If you believe that leadership roles are unfit for women, you do not support women.

If you take a woman’s words, efforts or work and claim it as your own, you do not support women.

Do not think for a second that this list does not apply to you. You are not an exception. You may consider yourself a feminist, but your actions prove that you are not. You are guilty of not respecting women if you do not make purposeful efforts towards uplifting women, if you do not use your privilege as a man to help women move forward and if you do not put actions behind your words.

This list displays only a few of the many ways that men disrespect women on a regular basis. Day after day I hear men grumble when they are not simply given whatever they feel their manhood has entitled them, and I hear pitiful, pride-fueled arguments that are ridden with the word “I”, fighting for self-interest behind the façade of caring about others. Enough is enough. Until you decide to listen to us, I am done hearing you.

I am done feeling like it is not my time or it is not the time for women. We will make it our time and you would do well to join us while you can.

I want to thank Lilian Juma for all of the fantastic contributions that she made to this piece. Her words added exactly what this piece needed.

I also want to thank Zoey Shipley, Savannah Lane, Gabby Duncan and Isaiah Baker for their edits and support throughout my writing this.