Sexism is a problem that has occurred for thousands of years and is a worldwide issue that is still prevalent in our everyday society. However, at the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center, Director Brooke Gilmore hopes to help make students aware of the everyday microaggressions and signs synonymous with sexism.
“The focus of the workshop is to recognize how sexism persists in daily interactions and a variety of different contexts,” said Gilmore. The workshop was centered around interactions such as the use of language or microaggressions on a daily basis.
Topics in the workshop included definitions of vocabulary such as “mansplaining” and “internalized oppression,” as well as examples of how these are frequently executed in our society.
The workshop happened on March 5 as a part of the Women’s Center’s Women’s history month schedule of events. The events included programs such as a period collection drive and a discussion around the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The workshop covered topics that have recently been in the media regarding the #MeToo movement. When asked whether other colleges should have workshops such as this, Gilmore said, “I believe in the age of the me too movement-the allegations against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men-that these conversations are centering on people’s radars, and we are recognizing a greater need to sit down and discuss these issues and recognize them for what they are. They are harmful and we shouldn’t just accept them as a necessary part of our lives.”
The Women’s Center is located in the Green Center and is open to all campus students and faculty.
