Feminists at Purchase are now able to assemble and fight inequalities, on campus and off, with the creation of FORTH, a campus organization who’s agenda is to end “patriarchal institutions.”
FORTH, which stands for Feminist Organizing Real Transformation Here, is a coalition created by sophomore Arielle Cohen and junior Erica Basco that is planning to fight for women’s health, end rape culture, and destroy feminist stereotypes on campus.
“We haven’t had a really strong feminist presence on campus,” said Basco. “Everyone’s been really wanting it but we haven’t felt like we were able to actually do so.”
The “feminist presence” at Purchase definitely came on the scene for the club’s first meeting on Feb. 24. About 70 students were in attendance. The group was so large that some had to sit outside the circle that took up the entirety of the Red Room.
“Purchase has a lot of institutions that are feminist in nature, but there hasn’t been any collective that’s directly addressing student’s needs,” said Cohen after the meeting. She hopes that the collective will be extremely active in raising awareness about inequality issues.
“I feel like it’s all theory and no action. This is a compliment to the theory,” said Basco.
The first action the organization took was to send members to the Rally for Women’s Health in Manhattan on Feb. 26. The rally, which was to fight the Pence Amendment that threatens funding to Planned Parenthoods nationally, had over 6000 protesters attend. Of that, FORTH sent 15 students in a bus and even more carpooled, according to Cohen.
The group also wants to tackle negative feminist stereotypes. According to a CBS poll from 2005, only 24 percent of women considered themselves to be a feminist. This low percentage is attributed mostly to the stigma that is attached to the feminist label. FORTH members agree.
“I think people have a really specific idea of what a feminist is,” said Ana Orellana, a senior anthropology major who attended the meeting. “It conjures of up images of women burning bras.”
“Not every woman is a feminist,” said Cohen. “I mean, we have Sarah Palin threatening feminism with a moose gun.”
Stephen Fought, a new media senior, says he also disagrees with the stigma. “I feel that feminism is just the belief that all people are equal,” he said. Despite his definition, he still feels uneasy about taking on the label.
“Sometimes I feel inhibited to say I am a feminist,” Fought said.
It is this inhibition that has pushed the organization to participate in “Feminist Coming Out Day” on March 8. The event is national and encourages feminists to don buttons and t-shirts that declare their feminism, in hopes to show the community that feminists are a diverse and large group.
“There are moments when people feel more comfortable identify as a feminist and moments when they’ll keep quiet,” said Cohen. She believes most students believe in the values of the movement but are weary of the stigma attached to the word. By participating, she hopes, students will feel more at ease about being “out” feminists.
“It’s no big deal,” she said. “You’re just trying to change the world.”