Just like race issues, LGBTQ and veteran’s issues, women’s issues and the fight for gender equality still persists. Fifty years ago, in 1963, Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique ignited the movement for gender equality. However, even today, inequality persists.
In 2011, women ran only 12 of the Fortune 500 companies. Today in the 112th Congress women hold 17 Senate seats out of 100 and hold 92 out of 435 House seats, not to mention that we have never had a woman president. Of course, women also only make 77 cents on the dollar for every dollar that men make. Indeed, these statistics do not indicate by any means that women are less capable, or less intelligent, or less able to succeed—rather there must be some larger social construction or institution that prevents equality—a larger social construction that creates a larger social need—the continuing needs of women.
Beyond the wage gap, pay inequity, and the “glass ceiling” issues, the social needs of women extend also to issues of sexual violence. Indeed, at least 1 in 4 college women will be the victim of sexual assault while in school and 48.8% of college women who were victims of attacks in one study’s definition of rape did not consider what happened to them “rape.”
In fact, our culture is socially constructed to hold unfavorable attitudes towards rape victims. Studies show that victims of rape are viewed negatively, even as they seek help. Such a culture trivializes the importance of consent and this trivialization of consent promotes a culture of “victim blaming” or the concept of holding a victim responsible for a wrongful act, including, even especially, sexual violence. Suggesting that a woman walking alone at night, a woman who has been drinking, or a woman who is dressed a certain way is “asking for it” is the victim blaming that is so entrenched in our society that so vigorously promotes rape culture. Indeed, programming to battle this “rape culture” is enough reason to address the social needs of women via a campus women’s center.
On a campus where alcohol constitutes a large part of the culture, victim blaming in the form of “alcohol” as the “new short skirt” becomes a prevalent issue. Yet treating alcohol as a mechanism to victim blame only perpetuates the problem of an existing rape culture. In The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti says, “Now, should we treat women as independent agents, responsible for themselves? Of course. But being responsible has nothing to do with being raped. Women don’t get raped because they were drinking or took drugs. Women do not get raped because they weren’t careful enough. Women get raped because someone raped them.”
Women do not make less money because they aren’t smart or hard-working enough. Women do not get raped because they weren’t careful enough. These are issues that exist that should be fought for, programmed for, advocated for, and these are issues that need a voice that many of our peer institutions already allow—these are issues that need a women’s center.
How did you get involved in this effort? I have always cared about an inclusive and diverse campus, home, country, and world, and this was just one issue I personally identified with that demonstrated a huge gap on campus. What are the obstacles to establishing a women’s center on campus? At a university this size, there is a TON of red tape, a ton of time is needed, a ton of money is needed, and as a result the process seems infinite. But the process is still a process and a passionate cause is still a passionate cause. We won’t be here to see the fruits of our labor, but that’s not the point — the point is to have started a much-needed conversation so that we can work with the administration to make the campus better, no matter how long it takes, but with the sense of urgency that we do it with all deliberate speed. Please describe the campaign you’re running to create a women’s center? What are all of the tactics being used? What other groups are involved? We created a proposal with research about the need for a women’s center and other campuses’ women’s centers. Then we distributed that proposal to administration, faculty, and students and engaged in a feedback process. We engaged with student groups and students and created t-shirts to promote a culture of feminism on campus and we created social media and blogs that promote feminist education and advocacy. For other student governments that are considering a similar project, what advice would you give them? What have been the biggest challenges? Biggest surprises? Lessons learned? Just don’t give up. Criticism and red tape are difficult things to come up against, but you are young, you are smart and you are the future of the world. Don’t give up if you believe in it and let your belief carry you to your success. Also, believe in collective impact — this wouldn’t have happened without an incredible team of students!