Equality through unity
CMU sees increase in women-led student organizations
Students and faculty identify gender inequalities still exist, especially in the professional world.
Women are organizing at Central Michigan University in increasing numbers.
In recognition of gender gaps continuing to exist in several fields of employment, CMU has recently seen an increase in women-oriented registered student organizations.
The Organization of Women Leaders, Society of Women Engineers and Women in Medicine are a few of the active women's organizations on campus.
OWLs encourages women to use their voices and promote what they are passionate about. Membership is limited to women only.
Public Relations Chair of OWLs Tori Saylor said these organizations exist because the oppressed need a place to come together to push forward in society.
“More than anything, we are a gender equality group. We believe in equality for both sexes,” the Jackson junior said. “Sometimes when you bring males into the equation they tend to take up more room, whether purposely or not. For us to create a space for a growing environment, it is really important for women on this campus — and really anyone that faces adversity — to have a comfort zone.”
Saint Clair Shores senior and OWLs President Kori Jones said women’s opinions aren’t valued as much as men’s in society. Organizing gives women a chance to be heard.
“I think society has adapted enough to know men are generally still viewed to be included. It is the norm for men to be part of things," she said. “For women, it’s harder for them to be seen as the norm with a majority of the careers.”
Realizing less women are employed in engineering fields, Chicago senior Tamika Taylor joined the Society of Women Engineers at the beginning of her time at CMU.
During Taylor’s freshman year, she said she was one of two female students in class. In her mechanical engineering class, there are only two women graduating in May.
“Our goal is to connect all women in engineering to become one,” she said. “When they are going through their four or five years of college, they won’t feel alone.”
As club president, Taylor made it her personal mission to make it known women can be engineers too. This semester the society is hosting Inspire Her Mind, bringing fifth to eighth grade students to CMU's campus to practice engineering-related activities.
“Most girls, even in high school, are intimated to chose this field because they feel like it’s a ‘guys field,’” Taylor said. “Women, as kids, are being brought up with the idea to go into fields that are more women-dominated, and we are going to try and change that.”
While OWLs and Society of Women Engineers only allow men to attend and participate as guest at their events, the Women in Medicine allows both men and women members.
Last spring, Rochester Hills graduate student Amy Kuechenmeister created the organization. She said there is power with having male members, because one day they will enter the workforce and be advocates for equality and change.
“I built the group for equality and to also bridge the gap,” Kuechenmeister said. “There are a lot less females in specialties of medicine. There’s still a pay gap deficit, and unequal working situations. It’s not enough for half of the society to see the need for change; you need the whole society to band together.”
Decades of inequality
Director of Women Studies Jayne Strachan said change traces back through history.
“Women faced patriarchy in Western culture, and the law of coverture — when males only had a public identity. The new paradigm of women with equal rights and equal opportunities still butts up next to that old paradigm,” Strachan said. “We still hear flat out stories of sexism, harassment and bias issues. Women and men are held to different standards.
She said inequality between genders is the result of social roles and expectations developed over time.
"When you step into the public sphere, you step into roles that for such a long time in western culture were reserved for men," Strachan said. "Women were not expected to be there, and the women are violating expectations.”
Two waves of women’s rights activism have taken place in Western culture, she said, and studies still prove that an inequality does exist.
“Women didn’t go to college, have jobs, and didn’t even enter the public sphere. Women fought for this, fought for the right to vote, fought the strong social sanction for Western culture,” she said. “The two successful waves of women’s movements — the right to vote and the 1960s — wouldn’t have happened if women didn’t have these organizations to learn how to be effective and influential.”
Organizing a solution
Women Gender Society Council faculty member Andy Blom said RSOs can provide a support system for women, that isn't as vital for men who have historically been given more authority in Western culture.
“There still is a deficit of women in leadership positions. As a society, we need to create networking opportunities, to create a support system and to create mentoring for women,” he said. “There is a need for this while for men, in comparison, already have fulfilled this need. Because gender inequalities are at large, women and men end up being positioned differently."
Blom said organizations cannot do everything with limited resources, but the university can make a difference.
CMU has already made strides toward filling the gender inequality gap.
Office for Institutional Diversity Vice President Carolyn Dunn said a gender equity women's center is in the works. Dunn began work at CMU six months ago, and has made this proposal a top priority.
“All the pieces of the puzzle weren’t together until now. We can move forward to make this happen now,” she said. “One of my personal goals since I’ve been here is to make sure we are up to standard (with institutional diversity) with the rest of the state and other campuses. Other schools in state have women's centers, and I think there is a general interest and need for it.”
Dunn said she came from a university with a very strong women center that had been around since the 70s. She said there are three components to be considered for a gender equity women's center.
Components of a women's center, Dunn said, include the academics aspect of working with women studies, the student services encompassing sexual violence awareness for all genders and access and information for gender equity.
“In terms of gender inequality, you need to look at it holistically. It’s making sure that men, women, and the transgender community have equal footing,” Dunn said. “We need to work toward awareness and acceptance for all communities. It is supporting gender equity for men, for women and transgender populations. We support the whole picture.”
