Economic Disruption

If you will not protect us,
you will not profit from us.

What is economic disruption?

Economic disruption is the intentional act of withholding our dollars from systems, corporations, and institutions that profit from our oppression. It is a refusal to keep funding the very structures that strip us of rights, dignity, and safety. Our money is not neutral. It is power - and it is power we are no longer giving away blindly.

Women are the driving force behind consumer spending in the United States. We influence up to 85 percent of all purchasing decisions, according to research published by Forbes and the Boston Consulting Group. From groceries and household goods to healthcare, housing, transportation, and education, our spending decisions shape every corner of the economy. That means we are not just participating in the system - we are sustaining it. And when we choose to withhold, that system begins to feel it immediately.

Economic disruption does not require wealth. It requires awareness. It begins with spending less where we can and spending differently where we must. It means choosing not to buy from companies that fund anti-abortion legislation or lobby against gender equality. It means opting out of convenience when that convenience comes at the cost of someone else's freedom. It means asking, every time we spend: who is profiting from this? And do they deserve my money?

This is not about shame. It is not about perfection. It is about pressure. When we disrupt the flow of money, we disrupt the illusion of consent. We make it clear that we are no longer willing to pay into our own oppression.

We are not just consumers. We are the economic engine. And we are choosing to stop fueling what is killing us.

Why it matters.

The economy is not some distant, untouchable force. It is a living system, shaped by the choices we make every day - what we buy, what we reject, and where we place our trust. For decades, women have been expected to fund this system without question.

We spend for our households, our children, our partners, and our aging parents. We are constantly marketed to. We are told that shopping is empowerment, even as the brands we support quietly fund policies that harm us. Our loyalty is rewarded with inflated prices, limited access to care, and corporate statements that say all the right things but change nothing.

But when we begin to withhold, things shift. When women stop spending or redirect their dollars, industries take notice. Brands revise their campaigns. Investors grow uneasy. Politicians feel pressure when the economy slows and the people most harmed by policy start pushing back with their money.

This is not a theory. Economic disruption has changed history. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott to global women’s strikes, collective financial refusal has altered laws, shaken markets, and exposed the deep dependence powerful systems have on those they overlook. We have always held economic power. The difference now is that we are using it with intention.

This pillar is not about budgeting or minimalism. It is about collective resistance. It is about sending a clear message: if you will not protect us, you will not profit from us.

What withholding

looks like.                     

Economic disruption is not about perfection. It is about pressure.

You do not have to stop spending altogether to make a difference. You only have to start becoming intentional. Withholding can begin with one small choice, one broken habit, one moment of asking, "Who profits from this?"

Here are a few ways economic disruption can take shape:

  • Choosing not to shop from brands that support anti-abortion legislation or discriminatory practices

  • Redirecting spending to small, local, or women-owned businesses

  • Saying no to unnecessary purchases and opting out of consumer trends

  • Canceling subscriptions to companies that exploit labor or back regressive policies

  • Avoiding retailers or platforms that spread misinformation or silence marginalized voices

  • Speaking openly about where you spend and why

  • Refusing to shop as a coping mechanism when the system causes the very burnout you're escaping

Economic disruption is about removing the illusion of consent. It reminds corporations, politicians, and institutions that we are paying attention - and we are no longer funding our own oppression.

You do not have to be wealthy to participate. You only have to be willing to stop pretending your money has no power.

How to take action.

You do not need to have wealth to wield economic power. You only need to become intentional. Every dollar you spend is a signal - to corporations, to lawmakers, to the culture itself. It tells them what you tolerate. It tells them what you support. And when you start choosing not to spend, that silence becomes its own form of speech.

You are not expected to boycott everything or live off the grid. What matters is awareness. What matters is beginning. You can disrupt the system every time you say no to a brand that profits from harm, or yes to a company that reflects your values. You can disrupt by spending less. You can disrupt by talking about where and why you withhold.

You can even disrupt by asking one powerful question before each purchase:
Does this business deserve my money?

  • Take the Pledge
    Commit to withdrawing your dollars from companies, platforms, and systems that profit from your harm.

  • Research Before You Buy
    Look into where your money goes. What does this brand support? Who do they fund? Who do they exploit?

  • Spend Less Where You Can
    Say no to fast fashion, overpriced wellness brands, or companies that market empowerment while lobbying against it behind closed doors.

  • Spend Differently Where You Must
    Shift your dollars toward businesses that reflect your values - local, ethical, woman-owned, or community-based.

  • Talk About It
    Share your choices. Post about why you’re no longer supporting certain brands. Normalize the idea of asking questions before spending.

  • Challenge the Culture of Consumption
    Refuse the pressure to buy in order to belong. Reject the lie that healing, power, or status can be purchased.