There is a new organization on the scene, and one that I am very excited about. I hope it is successful, because it seems to be pulling together a lot of the things the feminists in the movement have been calling for. The organization is focused on raising money to give grants to send women to conferences, much like SurlyAmy has been doing; collecting the sexual harassment policies for different conferences in one place, much like Stephanie Zvan and others have been doing; and developing a Speaker’s Bureau to encourage conferences to invite women, much like Blag Hag’s list of women speakers.
It’s not that any of those women’s efforts have been unsuccessful, but rather that the ad hoc collection of efforts from different women now has a centralized, official effort.
I also think it’s important that the constant arguments about this seem to have been making a huge impact. Even the, in my opinion, completely wrongheaded attacks on Sexual Harassment Policies from thunderf00t and Todd Stiefel have been coming from a place of assuming that policies are good and necessary, just that they need to be less trusting of women’s honesty in reporting sexual harassment.
Through strategic partnerships, Secular Woman will also advocate for equal pay, reproductive choice, and marriage equality, addressing political trends the group sees as ideologically-motivated threats to its members’ freedom of conscience.
I have joined. The first 25 student memberships are free, so if you’re a student, get on that!
Ashley's co-blogger is a third year student at Northwestern University who runs on coffee and snark. . At some point, she'd like to make people sit on couches and tell her about their feelings, but right now she writes in different places around the internet and makes silly faces when she doesn't know what to say. She's the president of her local Secular Student Alliance affiliate, and she is on the Secular Woman speakers bureau. Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Secular Student Alliance
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Eskeptrical Engineer
June 28, 2012 at 11:03 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I snagged one of the free student memberships as well! This seems like a great organization.
StarStuff, an uppity feminist
June 28, 2012 at 11:53 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thank you so much for the mention! I’m one of the founders of the group and I’m so excited that people are supportive and already joining us!
Sethra
June 28, 2012 at 1:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think the organisation is a fantastic idea, but I’m not in the US. :/
Leo
June 28, 2012 at 2:48 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Unless you are a man for those two I listed.
I’m so shooting for that “Man of the Year” award, though!!!
All kidding aside, this is exciting. I’ll consider joining. For $20, might as well!
julian
June 30, 2012 at 4:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Donated what I could yesterday.
Good luck and best wishes!
Jama Hostetter
July 5, 2012 at 7:14 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
haha, great! I like this idea! Would you try our site?
Amee Harju
July 25, 2012 at 6:37 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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