Feminist cause needs library, collaboration

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Feminism and equality — they go hand in hand. For many, the word alone is intimidating, others find feminism to be the core of the existence. Look at the definition of feminism, and who would disagree? Merriam-Webster defines feminism as the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. Who can disagree with that?

In a Nov. 24 Kernel article, it was  reported that the UK Feminist Alliance is working toward a grant that would help them install a gender studies library and resource center for students to learn and seek out information in regards to feminism and gender studies. While the group is currently without funding, it hopes that by the spring its endeavours will pay off with a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women.
This library should be a welcome addition to UK’s campus, but with the support of the newly formed Gender and Women’s Studies department, the library could be a reality much sooner —it wouldn’t hurt either the department or the Feminist Alliance if the two formed, well, an alliance.

According to its Web site, the Gender and Women’s Studies department seeks to develop and coordinate a curriculum that takes into account the various beliefs about gender, race, class and sexuality — a goal shared by the library.

“Society is slow to recognize the changing demographic of the nation, but something as small as a library can be an important affirmation of the premier place  women are now assuming in academia,” said Virginia Conn, president of the UK Feminist Alliance.

This library is a necessity on our campus. By reading the comments on the Kernel’s Web site in regards to the Nov. 24 article, some students dislike the use of “feminism” and have inaccurate ideas of what the word means. The library would be a boon to this university, helping to inform students about the movement and dispel the stereotypes that often run rampant on college campuses.

Campus needs the addition of  a gender studies library and resource  center in order for the university to become more involved with the students’ efforts to help create change.