Women’s Empowerment Month Panel Discussion
On Wednesday, March 10th, Fairmont State hosted a Women’s Empowerment Month Panel Discussion, featuring Dr. Robin Payne and Dr. Elizabeth Savage as the main speakers. Students and other teachers also spoke up during the panel to share their point of view, creating an open and inclusive dialogue. The members of the panel shared the history of Women’s Rights and how to be a good ally to females and other marginalized groups.
Dr. Payne and Dr. Savage began by answering the questions, “Why do we have a women’s history month and women and gender studies classes? Are we not all equal now?” Dr. Payne says in response to this, “Yes, some of the biggest inequalities of history have improved, but with that said, we still have a long way to go.” We need women studies to learn of the individual struggles of every woman, as not just a collective whole, and to also learn about the other issues that divide us. Women’s studies today strive to achieve intersectionality. It is not just focused on women’s rights, but issues of femininity, masculinity, sexuality, and many other things. This is why it is women and gender studies, not just women’s studies, as everyone needs to be included in this learning curve.
Dr. Savage went on to talk about Fairmont State’s own interdisciplinary Women and Gender Studies program, which is an assembly of dedicated faculty committed to the program. As Dr. Savage says, “It is a labor of collective love and effort of faculty at Fairmont State to make sure the program continues and that these students have the opportunity to take part in the classes.” One of these classes is Introduction to Women’s Studies, a class, Dr. Savage says, that students always end up thinking it was a valuable experience.
In classes in the interdisciplinary program of Women and Gender Studies classes at Fairmont State students get to hear the perspectives of marginalized people, along with having the uncomfortable discussions that allow students to become aware of what privileges they have. This combination of representation and encouraging students to be willing to make mistakes and not shy away from them is what the professors in this program strive to achieve. Students can learn and grow as much as possible, not afraid to say the wrong thing as they learn. Student Zachary Fancher loves taking part in the program, encouraging anyone who is interested in having in-depth discussions on gender, race, sexuality, etc. to take a look into the program, saying, “It is okay to mess-up in the classes.”
The panel discussion also covered how to be a better ally and a more supportive member of the Falcon Family. Dr. Payne expresses that one of the main goals of an ally should be to lift the burden off of the marginalized groups. Use the privilege and resources you have to help marginalized people reach their goals, but do not steamroll them with your efforts. Let their voices be heard, while you work to make their voices heard by even more people. As student, Emily Victoria Deal says aptly, “Create more opportunities and communities to support people who need additional resources: women, minorities, and even first-gen college students. Networking, forging friendships, and helping one another is the key.”
Everyone participating in the panel stresses how getting involved on campus is one of the first steps to becoming an ally. Allyship can be as is simple as taking the Introduction to Women’s Studies class or any other class that will make you think and reevaluate your worldview. Student Marlee Hoffman shared touching words to motivate students to get involved, saying, “A good quote I’ve been thinking about is “leave it better than you found it.” Find the need, get involved. Help get the word out about the importance of WGS. And don’t be afraid to get into “good trouble” as John Lewis said it. Cause trouble, make a mess. Don’t be afraid to cause trouble in order to stand up for people and to start to end sexism and racism. Because it really starts with us.”
