CHLOE KOWALYK
Editor in Chief
With the rise of changing legislation surrounding bodily autonomy and women’s rights, feminism stands as a relevant topic across the United States today.
However, feminism isn’t just a national topic — it’s also a local topic, as Fredonia has its own club on campus dedicated to women’s rights and feminism.
Fredonia Feminists has recently seen a revival at Fredonia.
Sangai Keita, a senior double majoring in political science and public relations, is the current president of the club.
“Fredonia Feminists is a space for everyone to develop and discuss the social development of feminism and to be empowered to be educated on the impacts of feminism and how it affects everyone,” she said. “Our mission is to improve the social and cultural development on campus by increasing awareness through workshops, literature, the arts, speakers and other various forms of communication.”
As a club that largely focuses on educating students and the community about feminism, Fredonia Feminists seeks to spread their message through various events.
For instance, during Women’s History Month in March, the club did a series of “HERstory” events. These events included defense workshops, paint-and-sips, movie nights, collaborations with the club Sister Circle and even a pop-up shop for female-owned small businesses.
In the past, Fredonia Feminists has also hosted a “slut walk” demonstration to emphasize women’s empowerment and the right to choose what to wear and the confidence in doing so.
Soon, Fredonia Feminists will also be tabling at The Leader’s Pool Party event, as they help gather donations for feminine hygiene products as well as holding coloring activities.
They also plan to table at Relay For Life, a fundraiser for cancer research and patient care led by Fredonia’s American Cancer Society.
By collaborating with other clubs, Fredonia Feminists hopes to continue raising awareness for women’s rights.
In addition to events, the club also holds weekly general body (GB) meetings every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in S204 ABC in the Williams Center.
At these meetings, Fredonia Feminists “speaks on topics regarding individuals who have inspired the feminist movement, and [looks] at the intersections of it,” Keita said.
Keita also explained that Fredonia Feminists focuses on various topics including culture, language, race, gender, socioeconomics and media.
While the club emphasizes women’s rights, it is open to all students.
“Any open-minded individual is able to join the club, no matter where you come from or how you identify yourself,” Keita said.
Drew Paluch, a junior photography major, is the historian co-chair of Fredonia Feminists.
She said she joined the club to learn more about feminism.
“My favorite part about being in the club is that I get to document all of our meetings and events. I am the co-historian for Fred Fems, and my job is to take photos while our E-board does presentations about different feminism topics during our GB meetings,” she said.
Keita also noted that oftentimes, students have presumptions about what clubs like Fredonia Feminists or other intercultural clubs discuss based solely on the name of the club.
Keita advises getting more involved in intercultural clubs across campus.
“If you are a student that isn’t involved and want to know more about what is on campus, take a week to dedicate your time to attending at least one GB meeting for each [intercultural] club and gain your own experience through it,” she said. “If you have any questions, always ask them if need be. Many E-board members would be happy to help, but we won’t know who to help if you [don’t] take the initiative to ask.”
Through both their general body meetings and events, Fredonia Feminists is continuously working on ways to amplify student voices.
“We are a club that is striving to support all individuals,” Keita said. “Being a part of this club or coming to our [general body meetings,] you can find that we want to bring awareness to the experiences we all have, as we face various systems that perpetuate separation, inequality and power dynamics.”
Keita also emphasized that the E-board of Fredonia Feminists “are not all the same and we emphasize diversity not just on the sole basis of color, but we want to make this a diverse place based on our cultures, our experiences and the various ideas we form through the lives we come from.”
Drew Paluch, who was interviewed for this article, is the Photo Editor of The Leader.