If the System is Rigged, Let’s Rig It Back: Creative Ways to Fight the Patriarchy

Alright babe, let’s be real—the system? Rigged to hell and back. And yet, here we are, still thriving, still fabulous, still making the world go round while they try to keep us in check. (Adorable, really.) But listen, if the game was never meant for us to win, why are we still playing by their crusty old rules?

That’s right, we’re not. If they want to rig the system, we’re going to rig it right back—with strategy, style, and a little bit of chaotic good energy. So grab your iced coffee, throw on your metaphorical (or literal) combat boots, and let’s talk about how we start bending the world in our favor.

1. Guerrilla Activism: Everyday Rebellion That’s Low-Key Petty & High-Key Powerful

Not all activism looks like marching in the streets with a megaphone (though, love that for us). Sometimes, it’s as simple as being a little annoying in all the right places. Small acts of rebellion add up, darling.

• The Sticky Note Revolution. Leave feminist messages on bathroom mirrors, inside sexist books at the bookstore, or in the pockets of men’s jeans at department stores. (They need the reminder.)

• Take up space like a man at a staff meeting. Speak first, speak loud, and don’t let Chad talk over you. If he tries? Keep talking.

• Weaponize their own policies against them. File corporate complaints when companies underpay women, flood their social media with receipts, or send back their junk mail with “Pay Women More” written in glitter glue.

Every tiny action chips away at the patriarchy. And bestie, we love to see them sweat.

2. The Power of Collective Bargaining & Community Networks (A.K.A., Girl Code but Make It Revolutionary)

If there’s one thing the patriarchy fears more than women with opinions, it’s women with group chats.

• Unionize, organize, strategize. Work somewhere that’s taking advantage of you? Find your people and start making demands. History shows that when women unionize, pay gaps shrink, workplaces get safer, and bad bosses cry.

• Build your own underground economy. Need a babysitter? Barter with another mom. Tired of expensive rent? Start a co-op. Sick of overpaying for drinks? Babe, we pregame at home.

• Normalize saying “no.” No, I will not plan the office party. No, I will not “just be a team player” and work unpaid overtime. No, I will not cover for Todd’s incompetence.

The system wants us to be polite, exhausted, and grateful for scraps. Instead, let’s be loud, well-rested, and fully in charge.

3. Redirecting Wealth: Making Your Money Work for the Rebellion

Listen, money makes the world go round—and if we want to shift power, we have to talk about where our dollars are going. If we keep funding billionaires who wouldn’t notice if we disappeared, they keep winning. (Gross.)

• Shop with intention. That means supporting women-owned businesses, ethical brands, and local creators who actually care about their workers and the world.

• Move your money, honey. Big banks invest in companies that fund everything from wage gaps to climate destruction (ew). Consider switching to a woman-owned or ethical bank—because your money deserves to be somewhere that respects it.

• Fund the feminist future. Support mutual aid networks, donate to grassroots organizations, and tip women like it’s a sport.

You wouldn’t hand your ex money to go cheat on you, so why are we handing money to companies that are actively working against us? Think about it.

4. Opting Out of Toxic Institutions = Silent But Deadly Protest (Like a Feminist Fart in an Elevator)

One of the most powerful things we can do? Exit stage left from the systems that don’t serve us. Sometimes, the best way to play the game is to refuse to play at all.

• Ditch exploitative workplaces when you can. Not everyone can up and quit, but if you can? Build your own path. Freelance, start a business, or go where you’re actually valued.

• Unsubscribe from the BS. Fast fashion? Bye. Corporations that refuse to pay women fairly? Not with my money. Companies that refuse to put women in leadership? You thought.

• Create alternatives. Crowdfunding, community-led initiatives, and co-ops are where it’s at. Why beg for a seat at their table when we can build our own?

Sometimes, rebellion isn’t loud—it’s just choosing better.

Bottom Line? We’re Not Here to Play Nice, We’re Here to Win

The game was never meant for us to win. So instead of playing along, we’re rewriting the rules, building our own power, and making moves that they never saw coming.

We’re not just surviving in a rigged system. We’re rigging it back—for ourselves, for each other, and for the future we actually deserve.

Call to Action:

Pick one small but mighty act of rebellion and do it today. Move your money, organize with your coworkers, buy from a woman-owned business, or just take up the space they never wanted you to have.

And remember: they built this system to keep us down. So let’s burn the blueprint and build something better.