Ten Ways REI Could Make Systemic Change and Actually Empower Women to be Forces of Nature

Image of Lauret Savoy's book, Trace: Exploring Landscapes of Exclusion and Inclusion in American History. The following list is in no particular order.

1. Give gear and clothes to the houseless.

2. Acknowledge the land they are on.

3. Acknowledge the real reasons as to why women, especially women of color, the lgbtq community, fat women, disabled women, and all minorities have more barriers to the outdoors than white men.

4.   Support and buy books by authors of color who talk about the systemic issues related to getting outside: Jourdan Imani Keith, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Angela Davis, bell hooks, Lauret Savoy, Carolyn Finney, James E. Mills, Dianne D. Glave, Camille T. Dungy, Dorceta E. Taylor, Alison Hawthorne.

5.     Individual REI stores need to invest in local organizations and events that promote social and political change.

6.     Admit that this campaign was not REI’s idea, but that after years and years and years…and years of women and minorities being undermined and underrepresented by this company, real people spoke out to get them to FINALLY do something about it….once they saw how much money they could make in return from it. Return on investment (ROI): business priorities 101

7.     Invest in Planned Parenthood, LGBTQ organizations.

8.     Put on an interrupting oppression workshop. Merge it with getting outside: to truly inform people about oppression and how to stop it.

9.     Never forget that management concessions are welcome, but not nearly enough.

10.     Not all stores are created equal, make them equal.

11.  Sit down with a committee of workers to negotiate fair scheduling.

12: Make the grievances public – public narratives.

13.  No loopholes

Check out our analysis that goes more in-depth about empowertisement.