When Donald J. Trump was sworn into office on January 20th, 2017 as the 45th President of the United States, women across the world were planning to take a stand. The next day the National Women’s March was held in Washington D.C., and in other cities across the globe. At The Catholic University of America, Raelyn Schnappauf and Alexa Ruotolo were working to gather a small group of women and men to join the international movement in the cold winter weather. They took to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to organize their group. A small group attended the march and served as the foundation for what would become Women of CUA.
The Women’s March on Washington inspired Schnappauf to create the first ever women’s club at The Catholic University of America. Schnappauf, determined to speak out against injustice, posted on social media urging people to join and speak out. It was the spring of 2017 when Women of CUA was unofficially formed. It is a club that focuses on bi-partisan issues and serves inclusive women’s empowerment group, which gained official recognition this year. Schnappauf, the club’s president, and Ruotolo, the club’s vice-president, are both senior politics majors who aim to promote different issues with every event and discussion.
Schnappauf, left, and Ruotolo, right.
Women are not the only members of Women of CUA. Men come to share their opinions and also listen to women to try and better understand their perspectives.
“I think that men give a different perspective obviously because they are not biologically the same as women. We want to be equal, but we also want to highlight the differences between men and women,” Schnappauf said. “So men, being in the room, being able to witness our perspectives, which gives them a different view on things too.”
This past semester, Women of CUA visited the National Museum of Women in the Arts to celebrate women’s progress in the field. They also held “Feminist Coffee Talks” where they discussed topics and questions that were selected at random. Schnappauf said those went well, and included men and women with diverse opinions and experiences. After the rise of sexual harassment reports in the media, they held a “#MeToo Event” where professors, students, and members of the university faculty discussed sexual harassment in the workplace and on campus. Fliers lined the student center and most buildings on campus. Schnappauf and Ruotolo said the turnout was unprecedented.
“Sexual harassment is cycling every generation,” Schnappauf said. “We have to change it. It’s not going to change now, but it’s a good start the discussion.”
Most recently, Women of CUA held a screening of Hidden Figures. During the screening of the film, the club introduced their own woman behind the scenes in math and science, Euphemia Haynes. She was the first woman of color to earn a PhD in mathematics, which she earned from Catholic University in 1943. Schnappauf said that the club handed out brochures and used a popcorn machine to give the event a “movie theater feel.”
Although the club is still new, it aims to continue its success next semester by producing more events.
“Our goal for the next semester is to talk about different topics of women’s empowerment than this semester,” Ruotolo said. “So we did the arts, we did the sciences so we want to branch out and try other things.”
While feminism is a party issue to some, Schnappauf and Ruotolo stress that the focus of the club is bi-partisan. They said that they want to include everyone.
“We really want to include all people because we appreciate and value everyone’s opinion no matter what political party you belong to,” Schnappauf said. “Women’s rights turn into political issues when women aren’t given the same rights. It’s really just a general thing that every woman should be empowered and feel a part of.”
Schnappauf and Ruotolo will graduate in May and hope to encourage more involvement from underclassmen to continue growing the club. Sophomore vocal performance major Sophia Anastasi wants to take on that challenge. She hopes to continue the success that Schnappauf and Ruotolo achieved in the club’s first official year on campus.
“I’ve always been a huge advocate for women’s rights and being that voice, I’m not afraid to speak up and out about these issues,” Anastasi said. “I think it’s important to have a club that gives us a platform to speak out about the things happening in Hollywood right now or politics or whatever is going on that affects women.”
Schnappauf, Ruotolo and Anastasi are just three of the many members of Women of CUA. They said that anyone is welcome to join. Anastasi said it’s not always serious and that they have fun and “feel empowered together.”
Members of Women of CUA at their holiday party on November 28th.
On November 28th, Women of CUA held a holiday party where members spent time listening to holiday music and coloring feminist pages that encouraged women to “resist”. It served as their final meeting for the semester. On December 3rd, the club held a fundraiser at Chipotle in Brookland where 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Women of CUA.
While Women of CUA is a new club to campus it prides itself on inclusion, respect and advancing women’s rights on campus and in society.
“To me, I think it feels like you can do anything, that nothing is in your path. That there are no glass ceilings that you have to break through,” Ruotolo said. “It is feeling competent that you can take on the world.”