WHY WE STILL NEED FEMINISM ON CAMPUS IN 2025

You’d hope to assume that by 2025, sexism in academic spaces would be a thing of the past. True equality had finally been achieved. After all, universities across the UK today pride themselves on inclusivity, diversity and progress. From fitting gender neutral bathrooms, to empowering young voices, life on campus does appear to be moving far beyond the battles that previous generations have fought. However, beneath this surface of progression lies a more complex reality – we haven’t reached true equality, and we just aren’t there yet. Unequal opportunities and the mistreatment of young girls is still highly common in many aspects of university life, something which I will be discussing in this article.

The assumption that equality has already been achieved is an easy one. After all, women now make up the majority of university students in the UK, with there being 1,668,600 female higher education students in the 2022/2023 academic year. Not only this, but women also are now pursuing degrees in career fields that were once almost entirely male dominated. This makes it seem as though the battle for gender equality has been won, because women have access to many more opportunities than ever before. Some may even go as far as to say that the work of feminism has achieved what it wanted. However, much more subtle biases prove this wrong. Everyday sexism, structural inequalities and unsafe environments still permeate academic spaces, and this should not be ignored. Feminism should remain crucial, not because nothing has changed, but because not enough has changed.

Everyday experiences of sexism on campus tell a much different story. For example, many women report being interrupted and spoken over in seminars, as well as having their ideas overlooked. To most, this just sounds like general impoliteness, perhaps people get too passionate about their thoughts, and accidentally interrupt others, with no malicious intent. But on a deeper level, it a subtle but persistent reminder of how gendered dynamics still shape classroom discussions. Group projects also reveal similar patterns, with women disproportionately taking on the emotional labour of organising and completing the work. However, something that I believe is strikingly telling that equality has not been achieved is the lack of concern surrounding women’s safety. Nights out further expose the more dangerous side of university culture, including drink spiking and sexual harassment. The Complete University Guide reveals that female university students are significantly more likely to be victims of headline crime in comparison to males.( Crime rates in university towns and cities). As well as this, the BBC found that one in four students reported experiencing sexual harassment – a figure that is too high to ignore (Thousands of students report sexual violence at university – BBC News). This further reinforces the idea that women’s safety is still under threat regardless of how progressive society appears to be today. This statistic is so much more than just a number, it is evidence that violence against women still shapes women’s university experiences in negative ways. Due to this, feminism should remain essential on campus life to ensure that such behaviour does not persist, and when it does, it is challenged. Without feminist frameworks, these issues risk becoming more normalised than they already are. 

Whilst I have spent much of this article highlighting just how important it is to ensure that feminism remains prevalent on campus life, this does not go to say that universities are doing nothing to achieve this. Many universities have several female led societies that aim to empower young female voices, give women leadership skills, and create opportunities for them, such as ‘Black feminist society’ and ‘Feminist Society’ which run at the University of Nottingham. Not only this, but the University of Nottingham has partnered with ‘Safe Zone’, a mobile app designed to give students and staff peace of mind when they are off campus. It enables users to reach a point of contact in emergencies, or moments that require reassurance. Campaigns such as this help to improve safety for students.

Every step taken, whether big or small, brings us closer to a more equal world. But let’s remind ourselves that although we’d hope that by 2025, inequality would be a thing of the past, that is just not quite yet true.  

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