As part of our ongoing blog series, we will be sitting down and have conversations with a number of advocates in our local community. This week we speak to Nicole Bray from Print Me Happy.
What is your name and role, and what is your passion in life?
I’m Nicole Bray and I own Print Me Happy, a social enterprise that helps charities and not-for-profits raise more money at their events using our Instagram Printers. I’m passionate about fairness and social justice. I’m constantly asking myself why things are how they are and what I could do to change it for the better.
Why do you do what you do?
I have always wanted to work for myself, even if that means I work harder and earn less than my peers. Working for yourself as a woman is very liberating. I love having more control over my schedule, how I work and how hard. I must admit that Print Me Happy is the latest in a (very) long line of business ideas I’ve had over the last few years. None of them really took off, but I wouldn’t have the skills and know-how to launch Print Me Happy if I hadn’t fallen over so many times already.
Are you a feminist? And, if yes, what personal experience led you to feminism?
Yes a million times! I didn’t know how strongly I identified as a feminist until I started studying feminist economics as part of my masters degree. Once I started delving into the topic, I couldn’t stop reading. Women have been royally screwed over by male-dominated institutions since forever, but the one thing I take away as a beacon of light is that women who acquire their own economic power are much more able to control their own destinies. I want to champion the accumulation of female economic power through my business and through my networks.
What does feminism mean to you?
It means equality, and it doesn’t mean man-bashing, although I feel that man-bashing and speaking truth to power can often be confused since so many men are in powerful positions! Amongst all the anger I need to keep remembering that men who make bad decisions for 50% of the population are human beings too. For example many men would rather not work in the office all the time, but are scared of losing their influence or being seen as weak if they ask to work a flexible roster. Equality is for everyone, not just women. That said, women need equitable treatment to get to equality, and that can be a hard conversation to have. Reminding men that they also get a better life out of equitable and fair policies is so important to progress.
What do you think is the most pressing social problem today (globally)?
Climate change, without a doubt. Nothing is so universally problematic, and it will increasingly compound the issues we already face. We need diverse opinions and diverse representation to make sure government climate action is addressing everyone’s interests, not just the interests of the homogenous group at the top.
If there was one resource you think everyone should view, what would it be?
Gendering Climate Change: A Feminist Criminological Perspective By Nancy A. Wonders and Mona J.E. Danner (Academic Article).I love this article because it was the first I read that does not hold back on tracing liability for the current climate catastrophe. It lays out the case for why climate change is a product of patriarchal values and capitalism, and urges criminologists to be more frank about these findings when arguing for social and climate justice. Reading it made me feel bold and justified the conclusions I was already coming to myself.