Gender Equity Group unveiled at GHS
December 10, 2021
Many students, both male and female, have faced obstacles in school regarding their gender. Whether it is not being taken seriously or being excluded, some people reported feeling less than their classmates when part of a gender minority in a class. To combat this issue, senior Oliva Hogan-Lopez formed the Gender Equity Group in the hope of giving all students an opportunity to support each other, and help overcome the challenges of gender-based discrimination in the school.
Often, in history and literature classes, there tends to be a female majority, while higher level engineering and math classes have a predominantly male roster. When groups are formed for projects or assignments, people of the same gender tend to gravitate towards each other, leaving the others at a disadvantage. Some people will even avoid taking certain classes because they might be the only girl or boy. Additionally, some people have faced offensive jokes about their gender from both teachers and students that made them uncomfortable or feel excluded. In many of these situations, students won’t report the wrongdoings out of fear of being singled out in front of the class, or fear of more discrimination from the teachers.
“I came across a student crying in the bathroom because she felt exculded and unheard in one of her engineering classes,” Hogen-Lopez said. “I knew I had to do something because that wasn’t an isolated incident. People all over GHS are struggling in classes because of gender barriers.”
The Gender Equity Group serves as a safe space for students to share their experiences and information about gender-based discrimination, and work together to come up with possible solutions. People of all genders are welcome, as it is not just women who experience sexism in school. Everyone is invited to come, including those who have not faced sexism, because the group is about supporting other classmates as much as it is dealing with sexism.
To help the Gender Equity Group, GHS students can take this survey to provide statistics and insight for the group, or attend the meetings in room 3415, which take place during homeroom, and will be on Monday, December 13th, and Tuesday, December 21st.
Emily Siegel • Jan 5, 2022 at 9:39 am
It’s great to see GHS students advocating for themselves and their classmates in this way! FYI: there’s a new Gender Equity in STEM club launching this month at GHS, sponsored by the Gloucester Education Foundation. It will be open to GHS students of any gender identity and focus on STEM opportunities for female and female-identifying students, and how male and male-identifying individuals can support the empowerment of women in STEM careers. Participants will go on monthly field trips to STEM organizations to learn about opportunities first-hand, and explore gender dynamics with leaders at these institutions. Keep your eyes open for info about joining the group; there’s a kick-off meeting scheduled for January 12. Carol Cafasso and Oliva Hogan-Lopez have more info, and Roseann Vidal is the coordinator – email her at [email protected] for details! First field trip is to Ocean Alliance!