Clark University Hosts Conference on Female Mentoring Programs

Clark University is hosting a day long conference called All Kinds of Girls Conference as an opportunity to bring together individuals from schools that do not have female specific mentoring programs, as well as individuals from outside organizations who work to foster the development of young girls. The conference will focus on how other schools can start impactful programs similar to AKOG*, as well as the importance of fostering the socio-emotional development of adolescent girls.

When and where: The conference will be held at Clark University on April 6th, 2013 and will be a full day program.

Who should attend: Individuals from schools who are interested in starting a program similar to AKOG or who are interested in learning how they can help positively foster adolescent girls’ development.

*All Kinds of Girls (AKOG) is an all-female mentoring program that pairs undergraduate women with 9-12 year old girls from the local community. The aim of AKOG is to help the girls develop their individual identities while promoting self-expression, confidence and mutual understanding. The program runs throughout the academic year and takes place on Saturdays. For more information, visit our website at
http://www.clarku.edu/departments/womensstudies/akog
.

If interested: Please go to
http://akogconference2013.wufoo.com/forms/all-kinds-of-girls-spring-conference-rsvp-form/
to RSVP by Monday, December 24^th, 2012.

Students call for campus dialogue: and resources, space for marginalized groups

An image from the facebook page of the Black Student Union, one of the many cultural groups on campus.

On Wednesday members of the Amherst community gathered in the Cole Assembly Room to discuss racism, diversity, and the climate on campus. President Martin called the meeting in response to a racist incident which occurred over the weekend. An Amherst student found the “N-word” written in the snow on top of a faculty member’s car, parked near campus.  In an email to the campus she wrote, “We cannot undo what is done, but we can call racism by its name, agree that it will not be tolerated on our campus, and counter it by doing more to create a culture that honors our differences and our shared humanity.”

The group that came,  approximately fifty people, was equally represented by students (who were majority people of color) and faculty and staff (who were majority white).  After a few opening remarks by President Biddy Martin, the floor was opened up to anyone who wanted to express ideas and concerns.

Students led the way, commenting on their experience at Amherst, and changes they hope for, while staff mostly listened and took notes.  Many students echoed the sentiment that the incident this weekend was part of a larger culture of racism. As one young woman put it “This did not prove to us that racism exists on campus, we already know it exists because we face it every day.” They warned against focusing on the specifics of this crime instead of analyzing the system as a whole.

Many students expressed disappointment over what they perceived as apathy on the part of their peers. One young woman noted that when issues of marginalization and equity arise on campus, there is always a small core group of people who participate in events such as this meeting. She thought that others may hold back out of fear of saying something un-politically correct, and urged for understanding during dialogue. Another student urged for more discussions and trainings that are mandatory for everyone. He noted that we are all in different phases of learning about power and oppression; and although some people may stay silent or appear to resist social justice rhetoric, these conversations can spark a small change.  Faculty shared that they are considering creating a mandatory course on these issues. Student life is looking at extending freshman orientation, or adding orientations for sophomores or juniors which deal with social justice.

A student shared her belief that conversations and workshops are not effective if we are not serious about punishing offenders. She expressed feeling unsafe when “we see things happening again and again with no consequence.” She explained that there are people walking around campus who feel entitled to, say, rape and assault others, and they will feel entitled until they are faced with real penalties.

The discussion moved to the issue of space for student organizations and affinity groups on campus, in particular the Multicultural Resource Center and the Women’s Center.  Currently these are housed in the basement of Keefe. Biddy Martin encouraged students to “dream big” and imagine what they would like to see. This meeting proved to me that with the sharp analysis and vision of students, and implementation and resources from administration, Amherst can become an inclusive space where diversity is celebrated and supported.

“Don’t Be That Guy” campaign targets perpetrators of sexual assault

A bold poster campaign, which targets the perpetrators of sexual assault instead of victims, has been re-launched in the city of Edmonton, after a successful run in 2010 which turned global.  The campaign was initiated by a group called Sexual Assault Voices of Edmonton, or SAVE, which includes partners as diverse as the local police department, Red Cross Canada, and the University of Alberta Women’s Studies department.

The poster’s core message is that “…sexual contact without ongoing and active consent is sexual assault,” explains Lise Gotell, chairwoman of Women’s Studies at the University of Alberta. This message comes across loud and clear through simple wording and striking images.

The first campaign focused on alcohol-related sexual assaults. In the relaunch SAVE decided to include posters on more diverse types of sexual assault. For example, one of the posters features two men.  “We wanted to expand this beyond the heterosexual audience. Sexual assault is also a problem in terms of same-sex sexual assault,” Gotell said.

You would think that the strategy of establishing a cultural norm of consent and reinforcing that anything else is assault would be more widely used. But unfortunately, most sexual assault prevention campaigns teach potential victims to restrict their behavior to avoid rape. The SAVE website notes, unsurprisingly, that research shows this strategy to be ineffective, and contributes to self-blame in survivors. Gotell mentions that “Our campaign places responsibility where it belongs — on the perpetrators.” How refreshing.

Malala Yousufzai of Pakistan’s Swat Valley has effectively become a patron saint for the advancement of women’s rights to education. A week ago today, Taliban gunmen shot Malala in the face and neck for speaking publicly against the Taliban’s suppression of girls’ education. In a 2011 interview with CNN, Malala explained why she continued to speak in defiance, despite the danger she faced: “I have the right of education. I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up.”

Educational inequity and discrimination in schools may be different in the United States from how they manifest in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Female American students can reasonably expect to be safe from government violence as they ride the bus home. Politicians, policemen, and principals are unlikely to make overt public statements, threatening girls with bodily harm if they show up to class. Nonetheless, sex discrimination is engrained in American schools and universities. Female students are discouraged from participating in class discussions when teachers more often call on their male counterparts. Young women are channeled into vocational training programs, eventually being situated in lower-paying positions than their male peers. Recently, on 10/11/12, the world celebrated the International Day of the Girl, a UN Sanctioned campaign to highlight opportunities for female children worldwide. In light of both this celebration and Malala’s tragic shooting last Tuesday, we should make conscious daily efforts to advance women’s rights to education. Raise your hand in class; and if you are not invited to speak, keep raising your hand in class. Study whatever interests you. Male students do not own math and science.Be mindful of the way the media portrays women in power; and if you do not find enough women in public office, become a woman in public office. We have the right to speak up.

“Women’s Studies: Great Expectations”

The January 29, 1987 issue of The Amherst Student contains an article celebrating the creation of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. The writers contended that “the potential exists for the department to be a substantial contribution to an Amherst education,” and that there was a distinct need for the hiring of additional faculty to support the nascent department. They say that new faculty needn’t necessarily “work exclusively within the department,” but that new professors could work in a variety of fields within the College. For over twenty years, Amherst heeded to this advice, only hiring its first exclusively WAGS professor within the last two years. As receptive as student response was when the Women’s and Gender Studies Department was first established, today the College must push itself to strengthen the department further. Each year there remain few majors -even fewer thesis writers -within WAGS, relative to many other majors, despite students’ breadth of knowledge about gender issues school-wide.

Growing Awareness on the Amherst Campus

Amherst College is far from perfect in the way it handles cases of sexual assault and harassment on campus. Disciplinary procedures can seem long and complicated, and students often feel put in awkward positions when confronting assailants and administration alike. However, it seems we may be reaching turning point in the way these cases are approached. Recently, several professors in  the Women’s and Gender Studies department met with the members of Women of Amherst to discuss the prevalence of sexual assault on campus. In a respectful, yet candid conversation, students and faculty shared opinions, experiences, and hopes for the future. Plans for more dialogue were outlined, and it seemed as though everyone present left with a greater sense of empowerment. As a female Amherst College student, I cannot imagine a more appropriate way to jump-start Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

“What’s in a name?”

Department of Gender Studies.

Studies of Women and Gender.

Women’s and Gender Studies Department.

Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.

Shakespeare has had us believing for centuries that “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But how true does this hold in naming an academic department? As someone taking her first WAGS course this semester, I did not expect the class to be gender-balanced. I knew before the first day that the class would be overwhelmingly female, and I had no problem with that. My fellow female students and I  should learn about the societal structures that so often lead to obstacles for women. But so shouldn’t men? My class is made up of 27 women and 2 men, but the men participate with equal frequency as the rest of us. They do not seem to shy away from topics that might implicate men in female subordination. This has gotten me thinking: if it isn’t the material of a WAGS course that intimidates male students, what could it be? Could the simple fact that the academic department begins with the word “women” really dissuade more men from studying the implications of gender in various settings? Would the department seem friendlier if it was simply called “Gender Studies” ? Perhaps specifying “women” makes men feel that males aren’t affected their gender. After all, mathematics departments nationally share the same name. The department of English, too, is uniformly named nationwide. Maybe male students gather that it must be significant that departments studying gender emphasize different aspects in their names. Whatever the reason, it is important that more men begin studying gender relations critically. If a simple name change could lead to that outcome, the results could smell all the more sweet.