By Demi Dowdy
Research shows that libertarian women feel the most alone in their philosophy than any other. But what if I told you that despite the liberty movement being heavily male-dominated, that more and more libertarian women are leading the way to educate and empower women across the globe?
Why are women joining LOLA?
Libertarian women are constantly reaching out to us through LOLAs Instagram and Facebook from places all over the world including Mumbai, Nigeria, Honduras, Brazil, Colombia and more, wanting to bring LOLA to their cities!
Dalila Lisboa Rodrigues, the September LOLA of the Month, explains the need for LOLA in Brazil, “Since I have been in the liberty movement in Brazil, I realized that there were very few women and because of that, social and gender issues weren’t discussed. I just wasn’t satisfied with the lack of women in the liberty movement. When I first heard about LOLA, I knew it was the part of the liberty movement that had been missing and I instantly knew I wanted to be part of it.”
While there are over 60 LOLA chapters worldwide, forty-two of those are located outside of the United States. And ten of those were launched this year alone. Clearly the craving for liberty reaches every corner of the globe and the enthusiasm to spread the message of liberty to others is spreading like wildfire.
What does that mean for the liberty movement as a whole? Well, women’s voices within this movement deserve to be heard. And thanks to LOLA Chapters all over the globe, women are speaking up, educating themselves, and emboldened to influence their government. While the sometimes male-dominated liberty groups often put economic freedom at the forefront, the women of LOLA have advocated for social issues that have long been ignored.
“We have had women reach out to us in countries throughout Africa, Latin America, South Asia who want to bring LOLA to their country, whether it’s because they’ve attended a libertarian conference and found they are one of the few women in attendance, had experiences being talked over, or want to make the liberty movement more women friendly. Overall, they are looking to start a LOLA Social Chapter to be part of a strong community of like-minded women and use their chapter as a place to spread the ideas of libertarian ideology to new women in their city.” -Holly Jean Soto on the Heartland Podcast
How are LOLAs making a difference?
Dalila Lisboa Rodrigues, LOLAs August LOLA of the month, said it well:
“It’s a movement mostly composed of rich men and all they discuss is economics. In my opinion, the lack of diversity is a large aspect of why we’ve stopped discussing important social issues in the liberty movement. LOLA is important because we bring the points neglected by the movement for discussion, showing that we can expand the liberty movement to different demographics. We created a space where women can discuss their opinions about economics, politics, and beyond while both encouraging and training leaders.”
I couldn’t agree more. The women who lead LOLA chapters are bold, passionate and intelligent Ladies of Liberty. They are shining lights in their respective countries and bring social issues to the forefront as well as economics. Not only do they have an impact on their governments, but the sense of community in these chapters is something women in the liberty movement craved before LOLA. This and the resources LOLA provides to women passionate about liberty have resulted in not just more women in the movement, but more women in leadership promoting freedom and individual liberty and consequently educating and recruiting other women like them.
In a year when a global pandemic has left so many isolated, the Ladies of Liberty Alliance has connected like-minded women all over the globe. Connection is more important now than ever and when women are underrepresented in the movement, the whole movement suffers. LOLA provides a space to not only build community within liberty-minded women, but give them a platform and amplify their voices.
Mariana Zonis of LOLA Brazil has said:
“Brazil is a country where the majority of organized women’s movements are left-wing. LOLA is an option for those who do not identify themselves with these traditional movements and prefer to see women as leading figures of their lives rather than hostages and victims of the state.”
Some of the events LOLA chapters have hosted include social gatherings, trainings, and speaking events to educate the public and public officials. Even during the pandemic, chapters have continued to hold virtual meetings and connect via Zoom and Facebook live and have utilized virtual resources provided by LOLA to bring the women in their chapters together. Indeed, thousands of women worldwide have united around the idea that no government can promise enough safety and security to justify exercising a greater hold on our personal lives.
With LOLA, more and more women are being introduced to the ideas of liberty who otherwise wouldn’t have been. With LOLA, more and more women feel like they have a home in the liberty movement.
“I needed to join this organization and put forth my own voice in order to bring about a change around me.” –Dyuti Pandya, October LOM
As LOLA continues to grow globally and more of us herald the values of freedom and liberty, the greatest benefit is a more diverse movement. LOLA has created a space for women to have a home in the liberty movement and use their voice for liberty! The future is filled with promise thanks to LOLA members all over the world.
If you are interested in joining or starting a LOLA chapter in your area, check out the chapters page on our website or reach out to LOLAs Communications and Outreach Manager, Holly Jean, here.