While most apps for women focus on beauty, fashion, and celeb gossip, there are a few that aim to take on the patriarchy and empower women everywhere. That's right: they're apps for feminists, the women (and men!) who want to slay gender stereotypes and make the world safer and more equitable. Here are a few of my fave feminist apps, ready to educate and entertain (and more).
Praised by ex-VP and feminist Joe Biden, this app makes safety a snap. Simply load the app with your six most trusted friends, and if you find yourself in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation, two taps in the app and your friends will get a pre-programmed text message with your location. The app also includes safety hotlines and there's even a customized version for several colleges and universities.
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
Whether you want to research something specific, or you're just curious about gender equality in general, this app is fascinating and informative. Using data provided to the United Nations by 201 countries, the app allows you to see gender-based stats in easy-to-understand charts and graphs. You'll be truly surprised at some of the info — check out data for the U.S. and you'll be shocked at how far we still have to go.
Price: $2.99 at itunes.apple.com
This app provides detailed information about gender equality in 201 countries, with easy-to-understand charts and graphs. It covers topics such as education, health, labor force participation, and political representation. The app also provides a comparison of the gender gap between countries, allowing users to see which countries are leading the way in gender equality. Additionally, the app includes a feature that allows users to compare gender-based stats for the United States with other countries. This app is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about gender equality.
High schoolers Andy Gonzales and Sophie Houser had had enough of period shaming and menstruation taboo, so together they developed with 8-bit awesomeness. It's a great little game; you literally get to hurl tampons at shamers (oddly addictive) and even the music is fun.
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
We've all had to battle the stereotype that women are just more "chatty" than men, even though the stats don't bear this out. This handy little timer lets you prove that men can (and often do) dominate the conversations, both in real life (think office meetings) or on TV (think every damn prime-time show you've ever watched). I can't tell you how many times I've used this during a movie that's supposed to be about women, and been appalled at the outcome. Now, who's going to develop a Bechdel Test app?
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
Created by one of the (female) co-founders of Tinder, this app takes the swipe-to-connect concept and adds a woman-friendly twist: women make the first move. If you see a guy you like, swipe right. If he also swipes right, you have a "match," and then you have 24 hours to contact him. There's something wonderful about getting to choose the interactions, and after using this app for a month, I can attest that the men who use it are NOT the same dick pic-sending vultures who proliferate on OKCupid or Tinder.
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
This looks and works like a typical news app, with one daring but discreet difference: the Help section contains resources for victims of domestic abuse.
Price: FREE at play.google.com
Provided free by Planned Parenthood, this app tracks your period and birth control (and a lot more, actually). Not every woman menstruates or uses birth control, but for those who do, it's important and empowering to know what's going on with your body, why, and when. I love the "period" slang pop-ups, too.
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
Raise your hand (and download this app) if you're tired of the way women are portrayed in the media (especially in advertising). With this app, you can forward and tweet a copy of a seriously offensive, sexist ad with the #notbuyingit tag. To get an idea of why this app exists, check out the posts with that tag. It's horrifying, and that's exactly why we need to be aware and boost the signal.
Price: FREE at itunes.apple.com
Which of these feminist apps will you download first? Or is there another one I ought to add to my list?