The Member Development Committee held their second event on March 7th named “The F Word.” The F word being Feminism, of course. During this event, our WIB members sat down to discuss what feminism is and why it is important today. The members were also quizzed on their knowledge of current events and the history of feminism, while playing a fun game of Jeopardy. The final jeopardy question asked to define what feminism is. The answer was that feminism is a belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, which group three got correct.
Unfortunately, people sometimes view feminism as a bad word and have certain false assumptions about feminists. The Member Development committee discussed some of the assumptions that people have about feminism such as the ideas that feminism is an anti-male movement, only women can be feminists and that we do not need feminism anymore. These are, of course, all false assumptions. Feminists are not hating on men, but seeking equal treatment and rights as men. There are males who are feminists, one of which is actor Joseph Gordon Levitt. Most importantly, feminism is still very important today. It will be important until every woman in the world stops feeling inferior and has equal rights as men.
While playing Jeopardy, I learned that during this year’s Women’s March, five million people joined together and marched to show that feminism still matters. Women are continuing to fight for equality because they still feel inferior due to several reasons. One of the reasons is the pay gap between men and women. Today, a white woman gets paid thirty-three cents per dollar less compared to a white man. Even more appalling, African American and Hispanic women get paid less than white woman. That certainly is not equality! Equality is when a man and a woman get paid the same amount for doing the same job tasks.
Another reason why women still feel inferior is because they are blamed for sexual harassment. WIB members noted that it is an important issue that needs to be addressed. They agreed that some people will justify sexual harassment because of the clothes they wear. To make people understand that it is not the victim’s fault, they suggested giving a relatable example to make people see it from a different perspective. One of the examples that was shared was imagining a beautiful car parked on the street. You may be attracted to the car, but it still does not give you the right to drive it. This is a great example that gets the point across.
The MD committee wrapped up the event by giving each member a beautifully designed card with an inspirational message. Mine said, “Don’t wait for the opportunity. Create it." This quote was the perfect way to wrap up the event and a piece of advice that we should all take throughout our journey. Finally, go out there and do not be afraid to shatter the ceiling!