Students participate in activities to advocate gender equality
Sophomore Morgan McClellan participated in the ribbon event, where students wrote their names and preferred pronouns on a yellow ribbon.
March 13, 2018
What is gender equality?
Many students asked this question before Gender Equality Week, which informed them about the true meaning of gender equality and how it extends far beyond equality between men and women.
The week of March 5 to March 9 was filled with various activities involving Carlmont students, in which they gained more insight into how they can overcome the gender stereotypes present throughout society.
“While gender equality is generally thought to affect only women, there are so many other genders that are also discriminated against. Involving everyone, no matter their orientation, to fight the issue together is the only solution,” Lucy Perrone, the ASB Human Relations commissioner, said.
The Human Relations Council in ASB was in charge of organizing the events throughout the week. They have been working on it, including gathering all of the needed materials, for a month and a half.
“The first three weeks were spent picking ideas and making plans, and in the last three weeks we ordered and tested supplies and made banners and posters,” Maddie Standlee, the ASB Human Relations supervisor, said.
March 5 was “Jobs have no gender” day, promoting overcoming gender roles in the workplace. There was a photo booth in the quad with face cutouts showing different jobs as well as pins with phrases such as “future doctor” and “future CEO.”
“There are so many jobs that have stereotypical gender roles that it’s important to educate people that they can choose whatever career they want regardless of gender or stigma,” Perrone said.
March 6 was called “Erase the negative” day, where students used mini mallets and water balloons filled with paint to cover a display of sexist qu0tes said by famous people. This gave students an interactive way of erasing negative stereotypes.
On March 7, ASB worked with Carlmont GSA, or Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club, to promote education about gender pronouns. Throughout the school, there were tables with yellow ribbons and Sharpies where students could write their names and preferred gender pronouns.
“We partnered with the GSA club to plan a day about respecting all gender pronouns and not discriminating against those who don’t identify,” Standlee said.
Since March 8 was International Women’s Day, the activities planned related closely to discrimination against women. The halls were filled with informational posters stating statistics about the inequality between genders. At lunch in the quad, cupcakes were sold for $1 and also included similar facts. ASB donated all of the profits made to various feminist clubs and the feminine product drive.
Concluding the week was “Pop it to stop it” day on March 9, with balloons throughout the school with common sexist sayings. Students popped the balloons, which represented stopping the use of the sayings. In addition, there was a pledge wall in the quad at lunch in support of gender equality.
Sophomore Morgan McClellan said, “This week is so important because there are so many people who don’t feel like they fit in. By learning about acceptance and overcoming gender stereotypes, hopefully we can create a more equal and unique community here at Carlmont.”
