It’s the last week of Women’s History Month, as well as the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life’s “Women Empowerment Week.” Because of this, we feel it is important to discuss an, unfortunately, still revalent matter. There have been several events on campus bringing light to this topic, such as the interviews of female alumnae through the College of Engineering, and these discussions and presentations have drawn attention to the very apparent gap still seen between men and women in professional development in the workforce.  However, despite these and various other efforts to advocate against and work towards eliminating gender inequalities, we can not help but notice a culture of  women putting themselves and other women down. Women are far more likely to apologize for their work than men. Women are far more likely to shy away from career opportunities they feel unqualified for. Why?

No one should actively seek to put others down, but women seem trapped in a culture designed to systematically work against them and need to pick up the baton when it comes to building other women up. Women must empower each other and reject social customs that pit us against one another. This could be as simple as being more conscious of your thoughts and words or perhaps even signing up for one of the University’s IGR courses on gender to better understand our climate of inequality. It is also important that women of socioeconomic and racial privilege recognize the women belonging to marginalized groups and the additional battles they have to overcome. Work to include these additional battles into the fight for equality.  As part of History Month and Women’s Empowerment Week, it is important that we use those advancements to make room for reflection amidst this need for action.