Top Four Tips for Supporting Feminist Local Businesses

Across the nation, Australians have seen local business struggle as society weathers the impact of COVID-19. Many small businesses are also facing the double burden of the tragic bushfires and floods that affected so many earlier this year.

Seeing our local community members struggle during this time has left many of us searching for ways to give back. We can use this time to support the types of businesses we want to see thrive in the years to come.

What is a feminist local business?

A feminist local business may look different in different industries.

Maybe the business is wom*n owned or operated or is grounded in sustainable or ethical practices. The business could have feminist business practices, where they guarantee pay equity, or offer entitlements such as paid domestic violence leave, extended parental leave or even superannuation top-ups to minimise the effects of the gender pay gap.

A quick look on the business’ website can normally help you to decipher if the business aligns with your values. You can always send them an email or message asking some pertinent questions as well, to ensure that the business matches your values. 

How do I help?

Spend Your Money Where It Counts.

If you’ve got the cash, spend it in a way that is impactful. Seek out your local businesses that you can direct money to instead of a larger corporation. Can you buy your veggies from a local grocer or your coffee beans from a local wom*n owned café?

Shout Out And Spread The Word.

If you don’t have the cash, shout out your local biz! Not all support needs to be in the form of handing over your dollars. You can support your local business by sharing their products on your social media accounts, leaving rave reviews for products or even showing off awesome products you’ve bought from feminist businesses in the past!

Send Love And Support.

Many businesses are trying their hardest to keep themselves afloat, with the pressure to pay suppliers and protect the jobs of their employees weighing heavy on the shoulders of business owners. Now is the perfect time to send your local café or artisan business a quick message of support to tell them how much you love their product or how you can’t wait to support them when it is safe to do so.

Be An Advocate.

Support workers rights and legislation that benefits your local community more broadly! The feminist and workers rights movements have always intersected, with much of the early women’s rights advocacy rising from the poor treatment of women workers across the world. Join the campaigns calling for extending JobKeeper to temporary visa holders, or campaigns supporting female-dominated sectors including childcare, nursing, and other caring professions.

Not sure where to get started?

Why not start by checking out our Feministmas Gift Guide from 2019, which features a number of feminist, wom*n-led small businesses, and see if you can support them?

You could also follow hashtags like #BuyFromTheBush, #SupportYourLocal or #SpendWithThem on social media to get updates on great small businesses you can support.


Have you found these Top Four Tips for Supporting Feminist Local Businesses helpful? Why not share the link with your friends and colleagues?

If you have any other ideas for ‘feminist guides to…’, get in touch with us at comms@ywca.org.au. We’d love to chat about your idea!

YWCA Australia wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work, live and play and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise First Nations people as the custodians of the lands, seas and skies, with more than 60,000 years of wisdom, connection and relationship in caring for Country.

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