I’m the father of two girls.

I love them with all my heart.

The recent overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision in the U.S. made me reflect on what it means to be a girl dad, on what it means as a dad to be a feminist.

It means loving them for being them, not some projection of what I think they should be.

It means being an active father, being involved in everything, plaiting their hair, making their school lunches, everything.

It means both telling them that anything is possible, and showing them by example.

It means making sure that my actions and beliefs don’t impose any limits on what they believe is possible for themselves, now and in the future.

It means not buying into gender stereotypes. If they want to do things that are traditionally more masculine, then great. If they want to do things that are traditionally more feminine, then great. I’ll play with dolls and ride motorbikes with them with equal enthusiasm.

It means encouraging them to have a voice and to share it, and that means I listen to them.

It means encouraging them to lead.

It means treating them, their mother (my ex-wife) and my partner in a way that shows I respect them and am appreciative of them.

It means learning, changing and growing as I learn more about the world, and myself.

And… it means taking a position and standing up for the rights of women to choose their own destiny. It means doing what I can to create a better future.

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of things in the world that wouldn’t be the way that they are if they affected men in the way they affect women. If men could get pregnant there is no way that abortions would be such a political issue.

In fact, I’m sure the Bible, written by men, would encourage them… perhaps that’s in the lost Book of Jane.

We need to collectively take a stand against these situations and systematically remove them.