Teen Girls vs The World

Two claims in the Manifesto for a Radical Materialist Feminism have to do with our living children

Many feminists are forged in our teens. It's one of the times that patriarchy impinges on our bodyselves the most intensely, the most noticeably. Some of us rebel and begin to learn our feminism right then. The other time is, for many women, becoming a mother. Oh, how so many find out that all the myths of respect for motherhood are … bullshit. Elements of the Patriarchal Bullshitery (the double standards, the catch-22s, the cognitive dissonance) become clear in each of these phases of female becoming.

So here is a small clutch of resources to do with that sacred portal from one phase of self to another: adolescence. These are by far not the only people or groups working build better worlds for teens. These are the ones we know of and admire at present. We welcome considered recommendations for more.

Culture Reframed – We admire them for both analyzing and answering to a problem: pornography in the lives of teens. Gail Dines is the world reknonwed expert on pornography's pyschological and sexual effects on viewers.

Culture Reframed offers 3 courses for parents and educators, all of which are

• Free to access
• Available online 24/7
• Backed by decades of rigorous peer-reviewed research, evidence, and scientific data
• Self-paced and easy to understand
• Divided into digestible modules that provide culturally competent, age-based educational videos, conversation scripts, and resources.

Rites for Girls – We admire them for using ritual and group work to build girl's strength of body and boundaries. They offer trainings, courses, and support circles for girls and their mothers. Some free content and courses here.

• In Girls Journeying Together groups of pre-teen girls prepare for puberty and learn how to take charge of their emotional, social, and mental well-being.
• Facilitators also support their mothers as the girls journey through this pivotal phase.
• We aim to make growing up for girls an easier, safer, and better supported journey.

The Good Men Project – We like their feminist-led course on dating for teens, and men of all ages, because … let's face it. So many have lost the skills of deep relationality and self-humor required to let another human being see you for real.

Heads-up! The Good Men are much more ‘queer inclusive’ and ‘trans supportive’ than many RadMatFems will want to allow. We agree with you. We also know there there are precious few good resources for men and boys that aren't busy shaming them into maintaining the patriarchy. We see this project's inclusivity as encouraging heterosexual men to accept and welcome feminine and gay men as esteemed members of their sex class – which is where the revolution really lies. The courses are paid, and GMP offers lots of free content.

Genspect – We like their project for having the hard conversations and for clearly and respectfully looking Gender Identity Ideology (GII) right in the eye and calling bullshit where needed. They also have a focus around the health and safety of children and their right to grow up gay, lesbian, bisexual, whole, and gender-noncomforming without medical interventions.

Heads-up! In the other direction, Genspect have recently begun working more closely with The Heritage Foundation and Moms for Liberty, two organizations whose political projects do not align with our manifesto and purposes. Both of these organizations support social agendas that conflict with most basic RadMatFem principles.

We are very interested to hear from and about goups concerned with relative experiences of affluence or poverty, or the dangers and difficulties racialized/minoritized teens face, or the needs of teens beyond the Angophone countries. We hope to direct support to them where wanted, and to create stronger international awareness, conversations, and cooperation around all issues affecting women and girls.