The holiday season is fast approaching! Twinkling lights, cookies baking, carols playing. and the chaotic rush and bustling of people crashing into one another as you brave the department stores. What's an empowered woman like yourself to do? When the holiday heyday of consumerism has got you down, check out the E4W Feminist Holiday Gift Guide! Whether you're shopping for an environmentalist, activist, fashionista, or even your children - we've got something for you!
And for those of you who are sick and tired of consumerist holidays this year, check out the "Shop the Cause" category of gift-giving (below), where you can direct your gift-giving to a greater cause.
For the Feminist Activist
What do you get someone who volunteers at women's centers, waves placards in the street, or boasts the best feminist button collection in the city? Help enhance her activist tendencies and feed her soul with these gift ideas.
College Girls Guide to Protecting Herself (Girls Fight Back Shop) $12.95 - Give her the gift of safety from Girls Fight Back! This safety guide is ideal for every woman attending university (or even just for everday life). Pair it with a personal alarm or spitfire pepper spray from the Girls Fight Back Shop.
Pillpaks $5.95-$21.95 - How many women in opposite-sex relationships have had the fear of being late? With a Pillpak, she'll never have to worry about missing taking her birth control pill again. With a digital alarm and beautiful patterns, colors, and designs, this is one gift that gives security of mind.
Undercover Jewelry $22.00 - Wear your reproductive values and politics with these beautifully crafted necklaces from Planned Parenthood. Crafted with old birth control pills designed to resemble flowers, each necklace comes with an 18" chain in silver-plating, hemp or leather. All proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.
Love Your Body Lady Liberty T-Shirt $20.00 - Love your body! Promote positive self-esteem and body image with this hot pink t-shirt from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Featuring the screen-printed image of Lady Liberty, the logo reads: "Give me your curves, your wrinkles, your natural beauty yearning to breathe free."
"Do Gooder" T-Shirt $19.95 - Wear your activism on your sleeve with this 100% organic cotton, fair trade t-shirt from World of Good. With its inspiring and simple message of "Do Good" and an ingredient breakdown image on the back showing (0% pesticides used, 0% sweatshop labour, etc) this is sure to please any activist.
"Bloom" T-Shirt $16.00 (E4W Shop) - Get her a shirt that proclaims to the world that she's an E4W reader! Not only are these 100% cotton tees super-cute and just as comfortable, but 10% of the proceeds benefit Women for Women International.
For the Fashionista
Smoking Lily - Smoking Lily designs from Victoria, British Columbia boast some of the coolest clothes in the western hemisphere. Whether you're shopping for tea towels or a Plain Jane Skirt, the store with the smallest storefront in Victoria is the place to shop.
2Chix - Its maternity wear for the haute mama! These cool t-shirts and hoodies not only flatter with comfort, but also feature cool sayings such as "Waistlines are Overrated" and "What's Kicking?"
SockDreams - Flatter your feet with a treasure trove from SockDreams. Whether you're looking for knee-highs, anklets, thigh-highs, tights, footsies, legwarmers, slippers or stockings, there's no end to what you might find here. Who says socks are a boring gift?
Let Your Light Shine Bracelet $40.00 (E4W Shop) - Now what kind of organization would we be if we didn't promote our own bling bling? Created just for E4W by the fabulous Lori Anderson, the Let Your Light Shine bracelet is the signature flagship of Empowerment4Women.
For the Environmentalist
You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening by Gayla Trail $16.00 - For anyone who's ever wanted to use their green thumb, this is the perfect guide to get started. Whether its seeds, soil, potting, or planning - this book has it all. Author Gayla Trail includes tons of fun projects, including how to make your own garden memory journal. Forget the supermarket, and when it comes to veggies and flowers - grow your own!
Gecko Traders Reusable Wave Tote $35.95 - Reusable bags are suddenly the new must-have accessory as everyone embraces sustainability and recycling. Invest your money towards a better cause with this Gecko Traders Reusable Wave Tote made by disadvantaged workers in Cambodia. Certified fair trade, stylish, and reusable - what more can a girl want?
Staple Free Stapler $7.95 - Never use a single staple again with this staple free stapler! Yes, you heard right. Environmentally-friendly, the stapler creates a paper staple out of the papers that are being stapled together. Talk about a conversation starter!
Don't Forget the Kids!
Antworks $19.95 - How do those ants build an ant farm? Learn how with this Antworks Antfarm featuring a NASA-designed gel. As they tunnel through the gel, the gel supports them through nutrients and water. Collect your own ants or order an ant colony with the accompanying instructions.
The Best of Judy Blume Gift Set $16.31 - Give the gift of reading and empowerment with this giftset of 4 Judy Blume novels. Featuring Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Iggie's House; and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself.
Pattycake Doll - Not only are these dolls absolutely beautiful and sure to enchant your child, but they come in different ethnicities and cultures, and abilities. Whether or not your child is Caucasian, Hispanic, African- American, Native-American, or has a visible disability such as Down's Syndrome - there is a doll for your child. Purchase accessories such as a seeing-eye dog, wheelchair, or leg braces. Its up to us to teach our children about multiculturalism and ableism - why not start early?
For the Literary Junkie
The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein $28.00 - The author who brought us No Logo now chronicles decades of disasters involving neo-liberal economic policies such as privatization, slashed social spending, and free trade. Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine is an indictment of American corporatism and institutionalized globalization.
Kiva.org - Kiva.org allows you to provide loans directly to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Help to empower someone, giving them the gift of their own business or trade and move them out of poverty. Use the site to see how your loan is being used and communicate with your recipient.
One Laptop Per Child - The mission of XO Giving is simple - to provide "a means for learning, self-expression and exploration for the nearly 2 billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education." XO Laptops are designed specifically for the needs of a child. A donation of $200 provides a laptop for 1 child in a developing country, $400 provides for 2 children, etc. And starting on November 12th, you can take part in the Give 1 Get 1 program where $399 gets you 2 laptops - one sent to a child in the developing world, 1 sent to a child in your own home.
Changing the Present - Change the present this holiday season by giving a gift directly to someone in an underprivileged country. There are gift options for every budget - $25 could train a midwife, $35 could provide sanitary pads for 10 girls, while $150 provides training for 10 OB/GYNS in violence prevention. Change the world, one gift at a time.
About the Author
Leisha Sagan is a freelance writer/graduate student/compulsive traveler/eternally single woman. She continues trying to do it all by doing steady freelance work and working on women's movement events such as The Vagina Monologues. She gets to see the ocean every day of her life.
Featured Poet: Laura Schultz This is visually powerful poetry and I hope that the author will continue to write more. The imagery is unforgettable an...
Featured Poet: Laura Schultz Hi, Laura
I'm glad I had a chance to visit here - this is a "lovely sight." It is well organized and the artwork is bal...
Featured Poet: Laura Schultz I, who only understands poetry at the level of...a rose, is a rose, is a rose, purchased a guide to help me decipher t...
Featured Poet: Laura Schultz OUTSTANDING. Where has this talent been hiding? We need more of this. Is there some way to get in touch with her?
A Feminist in Barcelona awe Leisha i really enjoyed this- you spoke to my traveling soul. Ive done some exploring on my own, but not near enough...
Meet the Cover Artist
Orna Ben-Shoshan: Artist Statement
As an auto-deduct artist, my work is not attached to any particular location or timeframe, and it’s free from any familiar set of rules. My creation is a medium of transferring knowledge about things that are beyond linear time and thinking.
It is said that observing metaphysical art induces lucidity and reduces stress. Many people who view my artwork comment that they can deeply connect to what they see, even though they do not necessarily understand it. In others it simply evokes positive and uplifting feelings as they are influenced by it subconsciously. Read More...
Leisha Sagan is a freelance writer/graduate student/compulsive traveler/eternally single woman. She continues trying to do it all by doing steady freelance work and working on women's movement events such as The Vagina Monologues. She gets to see the ocean every day of her life. 
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