Feminism: Necessary or Not? By Jade

Feminism, Webster dictionary defines the term as: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.  The dictionary also lists another definition: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.  A feminist would be defined as a person whom embodies these beliefs.  As a young girl I felt like I knew what a feminist was but thought that only a woman could be one.  As I grew up and as I read the definition today I feel as though a man could be a feminist as well. 

My experiences as an adult woman has only extended almost eight years.  In this time I have observed some opinions concerning women’s rights or the beliefs surrounding feminism.  I feel as though society or aspects of society think the sexes are relatively equal.  Women are in many equal roles as men.  A girl born today can choose nearly whatever profession she wants.  Salary gaps between the sexes are closing as well.  So do we really need feminists, what are we really fighting for?

I recently had a conversation with a male friend who was posing questions similar to these to me.  I was on the defense stating that equality between men and women have come a long way but it definitely was not equal. During the course of the conversation is dawned on me, he had never experienced life as a woman.  Seems like an easy enough conclusion to come to but it felt like an epitome moment for myself.  Growing up as a woman I saw the way my male friends were treated differently from my female friends, I also experienced the way I was treated growing up a girl.  I saw the biggest difference in nursing school, we had 38 females and 4 males in my graduating class.  Most of the time males seemed to be treated a little extra special like a budding minority, something to behold.  It struck me as strange because they were not better nurses than my female companions solely because they were male.  It was because they studied hard, had relative job experience, and had the drive to want to become a nurse.  These qualities were similar to myself and my female cohorts.  It was the way society saw and treated them differently because they were men in a female dominated field. 

For those that say that feminist are a dying breed and there is nothing left to fight for, I simply do not agree.  I am not sure that the fight for equality will ever end, and I feel like that is ok.  I feel as though it gives me a little get up and go to my day knowing that I am an underdog.  While it does bother me that most days I am treated differently because I am a women, I know that I have my opinions and can make a difference in this world, we all can.

Feminism's Impact on Sexual Assault Discourse by blogger Ryan Flynn

1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted on college campuses in America…that we know of. The accuracy of this number varies due to the fact that not all assaults are reported by 1) the victims and 2) the colleges that the assault occurred at. In many universities, this rape culture has persisted for decades upon decades, and only now is the severity of the situation getting media and administrative attention on a scale that makes change possible.

This change in mindset is due in part to a rising third wave of feminism, which has grown strong among the millennial generation. What this third wave of feminism has done is question the way we treat sexual assault, or more generally sex-positivity, consent, reproductive rights, and relationship equality. A majority of college campuses now teach about sex and consent upon entrance into the institution and continually offer programs to discuss relationships and relationship equality.

2014 was a momentous year for feminism. Ivy League schools like Harvard and University of Virginia, among others are being named and shamed for not addressing women’s sexual assault reports. The Department of Education also released a list of universities under investigation for mishandling sexual misconduct cases and for allowing those accused to get away with a slap on the wrist. The issue of sexual assault was brought into the White House with President Obama being the first President ever to use the words “sexual violence.” A collective alarm bell has been raised this year, especially on college campuses.

Among sexual assaults on college campuses, 90% of the cases are perpetuated by a small number of males, which are called “serial rapists”. However, to combat serial rapists takes a collective support of students on the campus, as well as administrative support and competency to handle the situations that may arise.

This third wave of feminism has improved the ability to have a thoughtful discourse on the subject of sexual assault on campus, instead of the issue being shrugged off as something that a victim "has to learn from." Now justice can be attained. The system is not perfect, and there is some discussion about whether or not college administrators are trained well enough to handle these cases, or whether law enforcement should be involved in every reported case. Either way, we can all thank feminism for helping to open the discourse needed to combat the heinous act that is sexual assault.

Keeping safe while studying abroad by guest blogger Joyce

Studying abroad during your college years is a fantastic opportunity and incredible experience to gain knowledge of different cultures and languages. In my third year of undergrad many years ago, I studied abroad in Spain. It was my first time in Europe and I took advantage of the proximity to other countries to travel extensively on my own. Following my naive, self-deemed street smarts to deter possible muggers, I dressed modestly and carried an air of confidence that I knew what I was doing and where I was going. I took a train to Paris, France, with my first experience in a sleeping car, and also flew to Italy and visited Milan, Rome and Florence. It was an empowering experience to travel to world-class cities on my own and to see breathtaking views firsthand.



My train from Florence arrived in Milan pretty late at night. I took the subway to the stop where I knew had a hostel nearby. I had an idea of where it was, but wasn't sure. I thought I’d be able to find it on my own, since I had been able to in other cities. When I emerged from the subway exit near midnight, the town was pitch black. I could barely see where I was going and I was trying to look for street signs or hostel signs, but couldn't see any. There were a few, if any, cars driving by as I hesitantly walked. I didn't know where I was going. Soon a car slowed down and someone inside started speaking to me in Italian, but I didn't understand. I kept walking but they were driving slowly beside me. I was getting very nervous and turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. The car followed me. I started running back to the station and saw a subway employee and hysterically told him in English what happened and that I was lost and scared. I thought I could take the subway back to the train station and just stay there overnight, but the subway was no longer running, as I found out it closed at midnight. The subway employee had no idea what I saying. Then I saw two girls with huge backpacks passing by. I asked if they spoke English and they said no, they spoke Spanish—the language that I was studying! I was so happy that I spoke Spanish and told them what happened and asked them if, by chance, they were headed to the hostel. They were! They knew the way and I went with them.



I was so lucky that night. I don’t even want to think what could have possibly happened in the pitch dark with that strange car beside me. No one knew where I was and the hostel didn't know that I was planning to stay there that night. I learned that night, that I am not invincible. I learned that I have to plan ahead and do my due diligence before heading to a new place. Unlike the comfort of our college campuses where we know where things are and where guidance is available, lands abroad may not offer the resources we assume are universal. My takeaways that I share with you: Don’t travel at night by yourself, especially in an unfamiliar place. Public transportation may shut down earlier than we are accustomed to in the US, 24 hour convenience stores may not exist, and roads may not be well-lit. Cabs may not be readily available and hostels and inns may not receive you. People may not speak English or other languages you may know. You could be completely stranded with nowhere to go. Have a game plan and if you absolutely must travel or choose to travel by yourself, keep family and friends posted of your whereabouts.

El Dilema de las Axilas Peludas por Emily

Feminismo. Una palabra que huye de la boca con llamas, quema las páginas de sus libros y soasa esta pantalla. “Soy feminista.” Esta frase es una amenaza, una frase que se usa para justificar acciones, pensamientos y creencias. Feminismo se ha sido una explicación de algunos tipos de conducto y algunos tipos de vida, cambiando de su definición original: el apoyo de la igualdad social, política y económica de las mujeres.






Hay una diferencia entre:






-“¿No te afeitas las axilas?


- “Si, soy feminista.”






Y






-“¿No te afeitas las axilas?


-“Si, no quiero afeitarme las axilas a causa de razones personales y mi género no puede cambiar mi decisión ni mis razones. Mi género no tiene nada que ver con la decisión de tener pelo excesivo en las axilas. Soy humana y no existo en las confines de género.”






Como resulto de las personas percibiendo a la palabra “feminismo” como excuso para algunos tipos de conducto y quizás la empieza de un argumento apasionado, la palabra ha obtenido una connotación casi violenta en la sociedad. Hay una relación social entre ser feminista y ser en contra de los hombres y todo que es patriarcal.






¿Conoces a una feminista rabiosa? Las feministas en que probablemente piensas son las con las voces más altas, con inundaciones de material feminista en sus páginas de Facebook. Este tipo de feminista quiere mostrar su resistencia a los hombres a todo el mundo. Sus axilas peludas metafóricas (o reales) están prominentes tan como su rabia.






Pero, no te preocupes. Las feministas puede existir en otras formas. Te puedes afeitar las axilas y también ser feminista. Te puedes llevar barra de labios y también ser feminista. Su novio te puede comprar regalos y todavía puedes ser feminista. Al otro lado, puedes decidir que no te quieres afeitar las axilas y no ser feminista. Puedes comprar tu propia cena en una cita y no ser feminista. Estas situaciones son acciones. Las razones y creencias bajo todas las acciones definen a una feminista.






Una feminista apoya la igualdad social, política, y económica de las mujeres. Si quieres ser una caballera, luchando contra la desigualdad con armas, montando en caballo, no pasa nada. Pero, al otro lado, te puedes vestir en ropa que quieres, sin pensando en lo que quieran otros hombres y mujeres y todavía ser feminista.









Si, la palabra “feminismo” es increíble porque las da poder a mujeres, pero también la reta a la sociedad patriarcal. Esta sistema está basada en género y papeles de género. En esta sistema, el género nos dice lo que debemos hacer y lo que no debemos hacer. Cuando no pensamos en género, encontramos el feminismo puro.

The Hairy Armpit Dilemma by blogger Emily

Feminism. A word that flicks off the tongue with flames, burns holes through pages and sears the screen you just read it on. “I am a feminist.” Those are fighting words; words that people often use to justify actions, thoughts and beliefs. Feminism has become an explanation for certain behaviors and lifestyles, straying from its core definition as the advocacy for the social, political and economic equality of women.




There is a difference between:




-“You don’t shave your armpits?”

-“Yeah, I’m a feminist, that’s why.”




And




-“You don’t shave your armpits?”

-“Yes, I don’t like to shave my armpits, I don’t want to shave my armpits and I’m not letting my gender get in the way of this decision. I’m not even considering my gender as a factor in the hairiness of my armpits. I’m a human being who doesn’t exist within the confines of gender.”




Because people perceive the word “feminism” as a defense for certain behaviors and even the start of a long, fiery argument, it has acquired a somewhat violent social connotation. Being feminist is often associated with being fervently anti-male and anti-patriarchal.




Have you ever heard someone describe another person as a “raging feminist?” The “feminists” that first come to your mind are probably the most vocal ones, flooding your Facebook with strongly worded statuses complementing shocking links. This type of feminist wants you to know how he or she is constantly “sticking it to the man,” literally. His or her metaphorical (and/or physical) hairy armpits are in your face, as is her or her palpable rage towards men.




But fret not, feminists of all persuasions. You can shave your armpits and still be a feminist. You can wear pink lipstick and still be a feminist. You can let your heterosexual male counterpart buy you dinner and still be a feminist. On the same token, you can elect to not shave your armpits and not be a feminist. You can pay for your own dinner and not be a feminist. These are just actions. The rationale behind your actions is what makes you a feminist or not.




You are a feminist if you advocate for the social, political and economic equality of women. If this means galloping up to the scene of a sexist remark, guns blaring, then by all means, advocate that way. But if this means wearing what you want to wear regardless of male or female societal pressures, then advocate that way.




Yes, feminism is an awesome word because it empowers women, but we can’t forget how it also challenges the old fashioned patriarchal system in place. This is a system that takes gender into account. This is a system built upon gender roles. In this system, gender tells us what we should and shouldn't do. By disregarding these gender constrictions, we find true feminism.

The Progression of Feminism- by Benedictine University blogger Karly

When I was growing up I always thought that  being a feminist was a negative thing. I thought that if you were a feminist, you hated all men and you only talked to women. That if you were a feminist you only were a part of things that women did. That was when I was younger, probably around ten or so. As the years went by I slowly realized what feminism truly is. It not a negative thing at all, actually it is the total opposite. Unfortunately, some people still think of feminism like my ten-year-old self did. Some people view the world of feminism in all the wrong ways. Being a feminist isn’t something that you should be afraid of. Just because you have a certain outlook on life doesn’t make you any different from anyone else. Now is a better time than ever for the world to shine a positive light on feminism. The movement has helped so many women feel strong, respected, and justified. I feel that most of the people that dislike the idea of feminism are men. I feel that men believe this movement is belittling them and taking away the idea of a “man’s role” in society. But one is no better than the other. Feminism is not taking anything away it is actually adding a positive outlook on today’s culture.

I think that being a feminist is cool. When you are a part of the feminist movement you want for men and women to have equal rights. However, there are extreme feminist that s
ometimes go a little overboard with their thoughts and that might be why feminism is looked at negatively sometimes. Those people that go a little too far with feminism just need to remember the initial reason and purpose, which is to create equality between men and women all over the world. There is not just one type of feminist. You become one with a reason behind it. If you feel strongly about a small portion or the whole idea of feminism, you will be different from the feminist next to you. You don’t have to be a woman to be a feminist. I feel that is a misperception that a lot of people have today.

The “He For She” movement, that actress Emma Watson brought a lot of attention to, is a perfect example of what feminism should be focusing on. We need to stray people away from the confusions of feminism and show them that now in the 21st century, men and women are coming together to create equality.

Corrective rape – an offspring of Hate crimes – by blogger Snehal Gajare

Humanity is considered to be the greatest of all religions; but are these preaching confined only to our books/speeches or they can also be incorporated into our demeanour too? I was extremely shocked to read an article that spoke about “Corrective rape” in South Africa.  “Corrective rape” is a horrifying practice of raping the people from the LGBTQ community to ‘cure ‘them of their sexual orientation. Raping someone because he/she is gay/lesbian/bisexual or a transgender? There have been several reports that speak of families knowingly enlisting men to rape their lesbian relatives to “correct” their sexual orientation.  Is this humane? This is nothing but a hate crime. Sometimes our humanitarian homophobic inclinations as a society can exacerbate fears and threats in lives of several others and make it a living hell.

Another article revealed about the plight of the students belonging to the LGBTQ community who were raped on the college campus. College life stories are all about education, friendships, independence and growing up as an individual; but to a lot of students such stories are filled with episodes of sexual assaults. A study by American Association of University women revealed that more than 70 percent of the LGBTQ students had encountered sexual harassment from the campus employees, faculty members and fellow students at the college. The study also reads that such violent assaults on LGBTQ students are perceived as a violent attempt to oppress those who are challenging social norms around sexuality and gender. Moreover, even if assault cases are reported, neither the hospitals not the universities/colleges are very equipped to deal with rapes cases in the LGBTQ community. The scenario is no different when a straight person reports rape. Our “temples of learning” are turning into dungeons with such an alarming rate of sexual assaults on campuses.

The main purpose of writing this article is to create awareness among the people that “Hate” should not be used as a weapon to ruin someone’s life. If you don’t like someone for whatever reason, that’s your personal opinion. But this hatred does not grant you an advantage to rape the other person. One cannot commit rape under the veil of correcting the LGBTQ community. Rape is Rape. It doesn't matter whether you are LGBTQ or straight. At the end of the day you are a human being and there cannot be a convincing explanation for committing rape.

Gaining Momentum: How the Media Helps Students Raise Awareness by Saint Louis University blogger Abigail

Just last month, a chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity was removed from Texas Tech University for displaying a sheet sign that read “No Means Yes, Yes Means Anal” outside their house. While this sign is obviously a disgusting example of the reality of rape culture on college campuses, the quick removal of the chapter by the university (the event occurred September 19, 2014 and the charter was revoked the first week of October), as well as the response of students hanging contrasting sheet signs around campus that said “No means No” shows that the university community was able to respond quickly to media coverage of this fraternity’s indiscretion, and raise awareness about sexual assault on their campus with a clearly necessary reminder.

In New York, students are carrying the weight of sexual assault until change happens in the way the University handles sexual assault. The media has allowed the students to reach a huge network of people all over the country, and therefore gain support for their cause.

However, the media tends, more frequently, to spread the idea that sexual assault is ok – victim shaming is everywhere on the internet, from a comment on the aforementioned Phi Delta Theta article which reads “drunk women are the downfall of fraternities” to a Time article that explains that Columbia’s protestors are being charged $1500 to clean up after the protests.

Media allows both positive and negative commentary to be spread, allows people to get attention for many things, and can cause any movement to gain or lose momentum. If used correctly, the media can be a hugely positive outlet for students trying to raise awareness on their campuses.

Students Speaking Out on Campus by Blogger Jade

When you are a college student, it may seem like the ‘real world’ is a ways a way.  Ahhh I’m going to have a real job soon, not be able to naps in between classes, and have the responsibility of all my own bills and expenses.  I remember feeling this way and also feeling like my opinions and my voice did not have that big of an impact. 

In October on campus we celebrated domestic abuse awareness month.  This was this first time I noticed students on campus speaking out, scratch that maybe it was the first time I really listened.  I was taking a Women’s Rights class and was learning about obviously women’s rights so I became interested in the activities surrounding domestic abuse awareness month.  One activity was Women on Wednesdays, this actually happened throughout the semester and featured women speakers on a variety of topics.  During the month of October domestic abuse and sexual abuse survivors told their stories.  Some were older women who spoke at a variety of venues, others were panels of survivors that told their stories, and would answer questions from the audience. 

It was very powerful to hear the stories of all the women, but something really spoke to me when I heard the stories of fellow students.  Here were people my age telling their stories of survival and having an impact on their peer group.  It seems to me that I generally put forth a larger effort to listen to someone I can relate to.  Now upon reflection I can realize the importance of students speaking out, it holds so much power.

As I approached the end of my undergrad I was asked to sit on a panel during a Women on Wednesday, and I declined, due to some frivolous work conflict.  I really wish I would have taken that opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences with my peer group.  I greatly regret not taking this opportunity to realize my voice and the impact it could have had on students.

This semester when you are on campus and students are speaking out about something that interests you take the time to stop and listen.  It may learn something about yourself or it just might in a way change your life.  Also if you get the opportunity to speak out on campus take it, what you have to say can impact someone else's life.