The A-Z of How to Be an Ally in a Pandemic
June 11, 2021
|In Blog
- A- Accept that everything is not in your control. Advocate for the rights of women and non-binary people in every public and private space you are a part of. Amplify their voices. Everything might not be in your control, but some things are.
- B- Believe survivors of violence and support them. Don’t be a Bystander.
- C- Share Caregiving responsibilities at home.
- D- Share Domestic Chores. Take on more than your share of the load at times when you see another person at home struggling.
- E- Empathy. We are in this together but we cannot be there for everyone. The least we can do is empathise.
- F- Forgive. People are at their wits end, many are stretched to extremes. There will be irritability, there will be anger, there will be fights. Overcome it together and solve what can be solved through open communication.
- G- Guilt. Move beyond the guilt of not doing enough in these crazy times and find small ways in which to do your bit. As a partner, a child, a parent, a neighbour, a friend, a colleague. Every bit counts.
- H- Heal. Intervened in a situation of violence? Stood up for a relative, a friend? It does not stop there. Give them time to heal and continue to be there for them in whichever way they need.
- I- Identity. Respect the individual identities of all genders and give yourself space to grow as well.
- J- Joy. Find ways to spread joy. Check in on a friend or relative you know is having a difficult time. Take on an additional chore if you can and give someone else a break.
- K- Be Kind. To those around you, to those who are more vulnerable, to yourself.
- L- Love hard. With everything you have. It is what keeps us going.
- M- Mental Health.Take time off to do what makes you happy and peaceful. Along with the mind, take care of your body using the space that you have. Find a routine that works for you to stay healthy.
- N- Nurture. Nurture healthy relationships that are based on trust, openness and equality.
- O- Own Up to past mistakes. Use this time to unlearn gender norms, biases, and stereotypes and relearn positive behaviour and attitudes.
- P- Privilege. Notice your privilege. Give up power in your relationships and try to get on a more even footing. Use your position, your power to support those more vulnerable than you.
- Q- Question gender roles and norms that discriminate and find new ways to function that are based on empathy and equality.
- R- Recover and Recuperate. Things can get overwhelming. Reading the news, hearing stories from near ones, feeling pain and grief, give yourself time to heal.
- S- Self Care. In your effort to support others don’t forget to care for yourself first.
- T- Teach young children to be sensitive and responsible by being a role model. Don’t tell them to break gender norms. Do it and set an example.
- U- Unlearn biases and prejudices taught to us by a patriarchal society and understand its implications on women, transpeople, non-binary folk and men.
- V- It’s okay to be Vulnerable. You don’t have to keep it all together at all times. Be vulnerable, ask for help when you need it.
- W- Watch. Observe signs of exhaustion, stress, shutting down in the people around you and let them know you are there for them. Stay vigilant, keep watch.
- X- Express your feelings and communicate openly. Express gratitude, love, pain and find ways to deal with conflict without aggression or violence.
- Y- Yearn for change, for a safer, more inclusive tomorrow.
- Z- Activate Zen Mode and take time out from Zoom calls every once in a while to keep sane. You’ll need to save up some energy to be an ally after all!