The Observer, April 4, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 23
Many different options exist to end sexism
To the Editor:
The day Catherine Vermeersch's article on sexual harassment came out in The Observer, I encouraged every student walking into the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women to read it. Student reactions ranged from sadness that sexist comments still exist in our society to feelings of empowerment and appreciation to Catherine for speaking out about this issue.
In the 2005 American Association of University Women (AAUW) report Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus (aauw.org), the researchers found that "on a campus of 10,000 undergraduate students, about 6,000 students will be harassed." Additionally, they found that "male and female students are nearly equally likely to be sexually harassed on campus. Female students are more likely to be the target of sexual jokes, comments, gestures, or looks. Male students are more likely to be called gay or a homophobic name."
As dean Cyrus C. Taylor wrote in the March 7 issue of The Observer, there are options for reporting sexual harassment on this campus: http://www.case.edu/provost/sexualconduct/policies/harass.html. We, too, encourage our community to report sexual harassment. We also acknowledge that reporting sexual harassment can be a lengthy process and that sexual harassment is often not reported. The AAUW report found that "more than one-third of college students do not tell anyone about their experiences with sexual harassment. Those who do confide in someone usually tell a friend."
There are many supports available to students who are weighing their options and trying to figure out their best course of action. Here are several options:
Get information. Check out the websites listed in this article.
Break the silence about sexism. Talk with a friend and with a privileged and confidential communication source if you want more information about the reporting process. On campus, privileged communication sources include: Katie Hanna, Women's Health Advocate at the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, staff at University Counseling Services, and University Health Services.
Seek support from the Offices of Student Affairs and Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
Support your friends by listening to their concerns. Remind your friends that they are not alone and that something can be done in the work to end sexism.
Come to a monthly meeting of the Men's Violence Prevention Task Force to meet other community members who are addressing these issues: http://www.myspace.com/mvptf.
Check out books, videos, and other great resources at the Center for Women.
Have conversations with your friends about challenging gender norms and ask for training on bystander intervention.
Are you concerned about the media's representation of gender and race? Come to the Open Forum on Race and Gender at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 10 in the 1914 Lounge in Thwing Center. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Diversity and the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and you can RSVP to amanda.shaffer@case.edu.
Sexism does exist and at the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women we feel empowered to have students like Catherine and other faculty and staff on our campus speaking out about these issues. It's incredibly important for all of us to take an active role in ending sexism and other forms of oppression.
Katie Hanna and Ginnette Boyarko
The Flora Stone Mather Center for Women
