When I first heard about The C Word Mag, a place to "share stories, anecdotes, opinions, art, recommendations, recipes and all kinds of free-spirited thinking with other women all over the world. (And to) celebrate women and female expression" I new I was going to the right place! 

I am really excited to have a couple of my articles already published there and I am delighted to interview today Emily King, the passionate founder behind it all!

What is the C Word Mag? and who is behind it?

The C Word Mag is an online magazine or blog that I started in May 2020 during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK. I felt like there weren’t necessarily enough websites dedicated to sharing women's stories and elevating their voices in a liberating and non-judgemental space, so I decided to create that space myself.

What is your biggest learning since you launched it?

Since launch, my biggest learning is definitely that when you start a passion project on the side of a regular full-time job, you are going to be extremely busy! For the first few weeks, I was waking up at 5am and getting some bits and bobs ticked off my list before work. I don’t do this anymore, but I definitely spend my weekends getting as much off my C Word to do list as possible!

What is the biggest impact of what you do?

Do you know what, I think as websites go and as readership goes, we are still pretty small. Having said that, all that really matters to me is that women who didn’t think they could previously tell their story or share it with anyone, can do just that. Sometimes writing something down or even the thought that someone may read something you’ve written and find solace in it, is cathartic enough. If small things like that can impact at least one other person through what we do, I’m a happy bunny.

What is the big goal, the big ambition?

Oh gosh, there are soooooo many! I want to do an app if that’s ever possible, provide memberships for our readers, expand our very small shop, give back to and work with female-focused charities. Right now though, my number one goal is to get funding so that we can spread the word, but mainly so that we can pay our writers.

What is Feminism for you?

Feminism for me is simple. It’s equality. It’s a level playing field for women in a world that has historically been dominated by men. What feminism is absolutely not for me, is man bashing. I have many male friends who consider themselves feminist.

Which “everyday sexism” really bothers you?

Have you ever read the book Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez? I think this exemplifies the term everyday sexism by showcasing data gaps where women simply haven’t been taken into account when forging society. Prime examples include office temperatures and air bags in cars, but also include linguistics among other things. The issue really stems from what is classified as ’the default’ - throughout our lives, the default is always masculine. Another example here is that you would call Brad Pitt an actor, but you would likely call Nicole Kidman a female actor, because the default is that an actor is always a man.

Do you remember when you start identifying as a Feminist and why?

Honestly, I wish I did remember a defining moment, but I think it’s always been in me. I have always read a lot, and all of my friends and female members of my family have never been afraid of speaking their minds which inherently builds that same trait within yourself. My mum was a full-time mother when I was growing up, but when I hit my teens, she went back to work. To this day, she still works full-time whereas my dad is retired, and that’s a great example of feminism to me.

Who is your biggest feminist role model?

Malala Yousafzai - her story is incredible.

What is your favourite Feminist quote?

Surely it has to be Emmeline Pankhurst’s "We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half."

What is your proud feminist victory?

Honestly, I think launching The C Word Mag! The fact that women from all over the world - literally from India, Romania, Australia, the Caribbean - are writing for something that I created, and send me notes thanking me for giving them a platform still baffles me. That idea of freedom of speech for women of all ages, backgrounds, experiences is something I’m so passionate about because we all have human experiences in different ways, but there are other women who maybe cannot express theirs, who may read something on our site and feel better about their situation.

What is your feminist recommendation?

• Book: Michelle Obama’s autobiography Becoming
• tv show: The Queens Gambit
• Film: It’s probably a bit unconventional but I’d say Ladybird starring Saoirse Ronan. It’s one of the few teen films where the main female character decides not to end up with her romantic interest, and instead chooses her girl friend to go to prom with. It’s also super quirky which I love, and even better, it’s written and directed by a woman, the fantastic Greta Gerwig.

I suppose my call to action is to continue to educate yourself about feminism because it never stops. Continue to listen to the voices of other women, maybe stop and think before you judge another woman