Welcome to a New World.

Hi New Feminists-

I was born in Sweden, one of the most gender equal countries in the world. I was raised to be independent, have a career, and my own income. I was taught to dream about what I was going to do, not whom I was going to marry. In Sweden we were taught that we didn’t need to be saved by a man. I was in charge of my own life and destiny. But despite the fortune of having been born in a country that values women and their strength, my life journey has been colored by the cultural gender messaging in the countries I’ve lived in. Like most women, I accepted the norms of the patriarchal world, not noticing the imaginary boundaries it created by false and limiting cultural expectations stemming from thousands of years of male dominance.

When we look around our lives and the society we live in, what we perceive as “normal” isn’t inherently correct or right.

Still today 40% of the world’s women live as second class citizens, without basic human rights with atrocious abuses excused by patriarchal religions and machismo cultures. Hollywood movies, where still today 85% are written/directed by men, with mostly male protagonists, where women fall off the screen at forty, has for decades misinformed us about ourselves. The violent internet pornography that promotes degrading physical and verbal abuse of young women, catapulted to a generation of kids, is a human rights violation that endangers the safety of all women.

In 1993 I co-founded Knock Out Abuse to help victims of domestic violence. During all these years the dismal statistics have not changed. One in three women globally still become a victim of sexual and domestic abuse. Only in a world out of balance would there be a never ending stream of women obliterated and abused.

A global shift to gender equality is a must so that 100% of the world’s citizens can contribute with their God given talents, thoughts, dreams and ideas.

My first role model was Pippi Longstocking, a Swedish kid’s story about an orphan girl with red pig tails who lived alone in a big house with a polka dot horse, a monkey and loads of money. She was funny, fearless, independent, could figure anything out and never hesitated to let her voice be heard…loudly. She still inspires me today.

The New Feminist podcast is a place to share thoughts on common sense feminism to make the world better for women, and men. We have an amazing team of women behind the podcast all committed to creating positive change. We hope you sign up, listen, reach out and share The New Feminist with your friends.

We have the power to change the world around us. Let’s together create the one we want to live in.

xx, Jill Sorensen - TNF Founder

Are you listening? Would love to hear your thoughts.

@thenewfeministofficial