Sororities and Feminism

[HQWest]

I don't think that feminism means that I need to go out and burn my bra on the quad or that I can't enjoy a nice manicure.

I like to think of it like the Nike insoles in my ColeHaan pumps?

If you look at how far things have come in the last hundred years, it's pretty surprising. Most of my girls don't realize.

Some Examples:

100 years ago at Cal - they were very progressive in that they let women take chemistry - but they had to sit behind a screen so they would not distract the men.

In the 20s(?) Texas agreed to allow women as students - but didn't build any dorms, so sororities and the Scottish Rite built housing.

At about that same time, southern schools started allowing women to take classes, but there were limitations since the only really acceptable professions were nursing or teaching or maybe accounting in your father's business. The chemistry building built at Texas at that time had no ladies rooms (except a small one by the office for the secretaries) - because they didn't expect to need them.

Chemistry buildings built at UGA and Cal in the 1960s would also be built without facilities for women in the research sections.

I have a friend who - in the 60s - received a scholarship offer that actually includes in the letter that she should not Accept it so that a deserving young man could make better use of it? She would go on to be one of the first women to get a degree in chemistry on another campus instead.

At that same time, women on my campus had to wear heavy raincoats over sweatsuits in 90 degree heat to walk to PE classes on the other side of campus so as not to be disruptive? (Note: no changing facilty for women by the PE center?) They also had to sign out of the dorm or get a letter of permission from their parents to go to the lake with a friend on the weekend.

And last summer - Iran fired many tenured professors in fields they decided were "unsuitable" for women.

So Yes, I still think that we have an obligation to give a step up to the little sisters behind us.

ETA: even if all you can do is provide a good example...