By: Katie Dubinski '18
Every year at Severn, there are dozens
of new clubs that pop up at the club fair, on a very wide range of
interests. One new club in
particular has piqued the interest of many
students: SWAG, or Supporting Women Across the Globe, a feminist based
group focused on advocating women's rights. I sat down with the club’s
co-leaders, sophomores Yasmeen Meek and Sophie Connors, to learn
more about it.
KD: What brought you to start this club?
YM: Well, the issue has always been
important to me, for one thing. I've been greatly influenced by my grandmother
as well: She was the only girl to go to middle and high school in her
village in India, and was one of the only people, male or female, to go to
college. She graduated with a PhD in physics. I also am bothered by the way the
media portrays women. An article should not be about what a women is
wearing but what her ideas are.
SC: At Severn, we have different groups for
multiple different aspects of diversity: LGBTQ, racial diversity, etc. However,
whenever feminism has been brought up in the past, eyes have been
rolled, and for the most part, people tune out. I wanted to raise
awareness and educate on the true
meaning of feminism and more importantly,
on the violence that women
around the globe face daily.
KD: How would you define feminism?
YM: The dictionary definition is "the
advocacy for women's rights on the grounds of social, political, and economic
equality to men."
SC: I think that feminism is really about 100%
equal opportunities for all genders.
KD: What is SWAG trying to achieve this
year?
YM: This club mainly wants to spread
awareness through discussions and dialogues and expose people to the problems
that women and men face globally due to sexism.
SC: I want to clarify the meaning of
feminism and also bring attention to the women across the world who
deal with unimaginable suffering because of sexism.
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