To help paint this picture, I turned to my loved ones, who shared with me some simple habits they cultivate every day that change everything.

(1) PRACTICE SISTERHOOD

A simple smile. That’s how Annabelle Irakiza has chosen to embody micro-feminism. “When I meet a woman in a waiting room, during an interview, or in an environment that she is less familiar with, I always smile at her. It’s my way of saying: I’m with you.” Annabelle also chooses compliments that don’t relate to the body, but to personality, style, or humour. With the people around her, she devotes her energy to more marginalized, especially racialized, women by amplifying their voices. She cultivates a climate of solidarity made up of tiny attentions, which becomes an everyday form of resistance.

(2) BUILD CONFIDENCE

At home, Annabelle imposes a rule on herself of never criticizing her body in front of her sisters or young girls. “Many of us grew up hearing our mothers criticize themselves. That leaves deep marks,” she admits. Instead of saying “I’m fat,” she chooses neutral formulas such as “I don’t feel comfortable in this dress.” This is a way to break the chain of body image insecurities passed down from generation to generation. A small detail in the wording, but a huge gift to young children.

(3) REBALANCE LANGUAGE

To Josiane Stratis, words are far from trivial. “I’m always uncomfortable seeing the masculine form prevail in French,” she explains. In her newsletters and on social media, she therefore chooses to feminize her sentences and use gender neutral language at work. It’s a choice that may seem symbolic, but it has a real impact: it accustoms women to feeling directly addressed and decentres men away from their status as the norm. An agreement, a word is already a way of rebalancing language.

(4) SHATTER STEREOTYPES

In class, Emilie Sauriol ensures that her examples reflect gender diversity. “He is gentle. She is angry. A female surgeon. A male day care worker.” Simple phrases that broaden the horizons of her high school students. The idea is clear: avoid reproducing stereotypes by showing that all emotions and occupations belong to all genders. Through this teaching choice, Emilie makes micro-feminism an educational tool: invisible to some, but foundational for the next generation, which is growing up with different points of reference.

(5) DO YOUR PART

“Do your part, for real,” encourages Félix Cauchy-Charest, a father. For him, micro‑feminism involves sharing the mental load equally: thinking about appointments, preparing meals, getting involved at school, taking time off when the children are sick. In the context of a separation, he also chooses to restore financial fairness. “Since I earn more, I want my ex to be able to keep the house at a reasonable price.” For Félix, being a feminist on a daily basis means being an ally and reducing inequalities by making concrete choices.

(6) GIVE CREDIT

In the hustle and bustle of meetings, good ideas sometimes get lost. And even more often when they come from a woman. “When an idea goes unnoticed, I emphasize that it’s solid,” explains host, columnist, author, and screenwriter Rose-Aimée Automne T. Morin. This simple, almost trivial act, restores legitimacy to the female voice and prevents it from being co‑opted by others. Publicly acknowledging an idea is a simple and effective way to balance relations in the professional environment.

(7) CHOOSE PLANTS

For Élise Desaulniers, an author and independent researcher, the food we eat becomes a field for feminist engagement. “Being vegan means refusing the hierarchies that classify some lives as superior to others. This corresponds to a feminist perspective, because we can see similarities between animal exploitation and the domination of women: bodily control, reduction to reproductive function, invisibility of care.”
She clarifies that this choice becomes feminist when it is guided by ethical considerations rather than by health or fashion. By refusing these logics of power, veganism becomes a daily and concrete political practice that promotes greater equity and greater equality.

(8) SHATTER CONSUMPTION STEREOTYPES

When Sarah-Maude Forget shops with her daughters, she sometimes takes them into the boys’ section. “Gender shouldn’t limit colours, cuts, or prints.” For her, this is a way of teaching them that they can choose whatever they like without allowing themselves to be confined by labels. Refusing to adhere to gender norms when simply buying clothes is planting the idea that everyone can forge their own path. A seemingly ordinary approach, but one that broadens horizons from childhood onward.

(9) REHABILITATE BODIES AND VOICES

Charlotte Levasseur Paquin is a physiotherapist specializing in perineal rehabilitation. She considers her occupation to be a feminist commitment: “Pelvic and obstetric health has been minimized for too long. However, so many people are affected.” She also refuses to stay silent when her clients criticize their bodies. She listens to them, then reminds them of their strength and dignity. Her actions extend beyond that: she chooses to read and listen to more female and LGBTQ+ artists. She also recounts her solo outdoor adventures to inspire other women. In this way, Charlotte places bodies and voices which are too often made invisible back at the heart of our concerns.

(10) BREAK THE PERIOD TABOO

On the ultramarathon trails and in her job as an engineer, Geneviève Asselin‑Demers operates in largely masculine environments. Whenever she hears “Hey, guys,” she immediately corrects it: “… guys and girl.” But her most significant intervention remains speaking openly about her period. “During the race, it’s rare that our hormones allow us to control everything.” She points out the fact that women often have to deal with their cycle in challenging situations: changing their tampons in nature between two aid stations or managing symptoms that are sometimes invisible to others. By naming these realities, she breaks a taboo and makes the sport more authentic, more human.

A smile, a word, a choice: these tiny habits are nothing spectacular, but their persistence transforms everyday life. Like water seeping through the cracks, they redefine the landscape little by little. Micro-feminism reminds us that equality isn’t just a matter of major struggles, but also of small actions, repeated in ordinary situations. A compliment that brightens someone’s day, a shared meal, highlighted words: so many threads that weave the fabric of a new horizon. It’s a movement that spreads quietly, but which is nonetheless transformative. What if the next action came from you?