{"id":484,"date":"2021-03-03T09:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T09:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/?p=484"},"modified":"2025-06-24T12:20:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T19:20:17","slug":"finding-your-purpose-and-your-mental-wellbeing-along-the-way-one-very-cool-activist-muses-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/finding-your-purpose-and-your-mental-wellbeing-along-the-way-one-very-cool-activist-muses-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding your purpose\u2014and your mental wellbeing along the way: One very cool \u2018activist muse\u2019s\u2019 story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Candace is an intersectional feminist, self-love advocate and fierce champion for women\u2019s empowerment. Her community platform, Female Collective<\/a>, uplifts and celebrates the feminine spirit. She\u2019s been called the \u201cactivist muse every \u2018it girl\u2019 is following on Instagram<\/a>\u201d by WhoWhatWear. This is her story about the importance of adding intersectionality to feminism for total healing and belonging.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Path to purpose and mental wellbeing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, the ugly truth of systemic oppression in America was made visible to everyone and the fight for equality sparked the first Women\u2019s March, the Me Too movement and a rebirth of second-wave feminism. This rebirth\u2014called Intersectional Feminism\u2014looked at traditional feminism through a new lens that considered not just equality dynamics between men and women, but the breadth of equality barriers faced by women and how they intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same year, I found myself searching for support and community. I wanted to be a part of this rebirth and find a place to heal. Like any self-respecting millennial looking for meaning in their life, I turned to social media in search of belonging. I was seeking a community whose mission intertwined intersectional feminism and self-love, but couldn’t find anything I connected with, so I started to curate the content I was craving as a tool for healing and strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I quickly discovered my need for a safe space to explore these topics was not unique. My empathic, educational messages wrapped in witty humor began to attract the attention of women all over the world. As the empowerment in my posts grew, so did my audience, and the Female Collective<\/a> community was born of vulnerability, love and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Female Collective (@femalecollective)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

Over the years it has evolved into a consistent reminder to celebrate the struggles and successes of our individual journey. We are a community for those who reject the social constructs of the patriarchy and status quo. Our goal is to create positive energy and space for the development of new social constructs that can change the narrative and give voice to women and non-binary people of all races, sexualities, ages, ability and classes. We do this through conversations about culturally and politically charged issues such as body positivity, reproductive rights, Black Lives Matter, climate change, immigration issues and LGBTQ+ rights\u2014all things that encompass Intersectional Feminism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importance of understanding intersectional feminism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The term \u201cintersectional feminism\u201d is not new. It was coined more than 30 years ago by lawyer Kimberle Crenshaw, a professor at UCLA and Columbia Law School. Her teachings examine how race, class, gender and other individual characteristics intersect and overlap, rejecting the premise that gender discrimination exists in a bubble. Every woman is subject to bias and discrimination based on their unique set of intersections. As a Black woman, I face inequality and discrimination because of my gender and race. Other women might experience it based on their gender and sexuality, ability, class, age and\/or religious beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on their intersectionality, women can be denied and discriminated against through wages, reproductive rights, environmental issues, education. The statistics are staggering as the quantity of intersection points grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n