Blog

Black Friday has passed, but we know that the shopping madness in America is only beginning.

Over the next few weeks, millions of people in this country (and in places all around the world) will spend many millions of dollars on gifts for family, friends and loved ones. So what better time to take action around spending habits? Voting with our money is one of the most powerful ways we can impact the society we live in.

That’s why we’re launching a campaign on Twitter, inspired by Girls For a Change, to keep track of all the positive choices we make when buying gifts this year. If you see a product or advertisement that misrepresents or degrades women – whether in a store, online or in a magazine – here’s what you can do to make a difference:

On Twitter, post a description or a picture of the offensive item with this hashtag: #notbuyingit

ex. “The ads displayed at Abercrombie & Fitch are degrading to women. I wanted this sweater but now I’m #notbuyingit

If enough of us publicly tell these companies that we won’t buy into their offensive advertising or products, we can get their attention and see real change happen! In the past few months alone we’ve seen corporations as big as JCPenney and Gymboree change practices in reaction to public outcry.

Most importantly, just by being a little more aware of the images around us day-to-day, each of us can start to influence our own communities in unique ways. We’ve already heard from mothers in New York who’ve had billboards removed and young people everywhere who are creating media literacy clubs at their schools – these actions are making a difference and building momentum towards shifting our entire culture.

Let’s keep the trend going and send a direct message to the advertisers and media moguls who perpetuate sexist stereotypes: this holiday season, sexism won’t sell.

- Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the MissRepresentation.org team