The Hunter Feminist Collective Project Proposal

Created by: Michelle Viera

Image taken from questionsforus.com .

In support of the feminist movement, I will propose to the

department of student activities, a club called The Hunter Feminist Collective. The Feminist Collective will consist of a group of students that create projects throughout each semester that inform others of all the different topics within feminism. Some of the topics The Feminist Collective will include but are not limited to are wage equality, domestic violence, pro choice including sex education, the media of women and for women, body image, and the over all meaning of feminism.“Feminists are an incredibly diverse group and are not limited to only being lesbian or angry, or even female for that matter. We all have our own concerns and causes, but most feminists are not out to take over society or even wrench all forms of autonomy or power from males.”, said Lydia Melby a writer for the JMC Network student media at Abilene Christian University website, that explains the necessity of education on the feminist movement. The Purpose of The Feminist Collective will be to educate The Hunter College community about feminism without judging anyones particular political views. The projects curated by The Feminist Collective will consist of several media such as print, digital web content, film and events.

Image taken from womenagainstfeminism.tumblr.com .

There is great confusion over the topic of feminism because everyone has a different interpretation of the movement. The feminist collective will attempt to address all the flaws within and around the feminist culture. I have researched the assets of feminism that are infamously discussed among in and out groups of feminism in order to better envelope a well packaged program The Feminist Collective will follow. I divided the assets of feminism into four broad categories that need to be addressed.

Types of feminism: According to Red Letter Press, a website that publishes writing covering social topics including feminism, “As with every social movement, feminism encompasses a variety of political tendencies. There are three main types of feminism: socialist, reformist, and radical/separatist.” It is important to educate people of the many groups within feminism, for each stands for specific beliefs, changes and needs within the feminist community. Common stereotypes: According to Lydia Melby, “People imagine a stereotypical image of an angry, man-hating, unattractive woman with hairy armpits, screaming irrationally about imagined insults and leading other 'closet-feminists' to voice their opinions without identifying with the cause. This is a shame because our philosophy has much to offer both men and women.”Social issues/politics: There are those who disagree with the feminist movement. It is the miscommunication between opposing parties that leads to setbacks in political progress not only for the feminism movement, but in all movements in general. Here is an example: “A “movement” that advocates for the rights of one gender over another is sexist and inequal by nature…,“ this was written by an unknown author for the website titled Women Against Feminism. Women Against feminism is a movement that has spread across social media putting down the work of feminism and the significance of the feminism movement. Education: Here is the link to join the feminism movement http://www.feminist.org/action/index.html. This website also serves as a good source of information to explore Feminism.

These are some of the goals The Feminist Collective will attempt to achieve through out the school semesters as soon as it receives department approval. The Feminist Collective will work with the gender studies and media studies departments to bring awareness of this particular club and encourage involvement from students. The Feminist Collective will work with other clubs to organize events that shine light on the topic of feminism. Some events will include documentary and film screenings, open mic nights where people get to share experiences that reflect their passion for feminism, and information sessions or inquiry sessions where students can actively discuss current topics involving the feminist movement. The Feminist Collective will have a website that contains events information, other content that can be digitized and published during the semester. The collective will also serve as a place where students can come in and ask for advice, or help overcome any obstacles they are facing relative to social issues.

Image taken from theorizingmasculinity.blogspot.com .

The Feminist Collective will consist of four teams that will help accomplish spread knowledge of feminism. Social media/website: This team will have members updating social media pages and will work on the opportunities of creating content and managing content for the collective's website. Print media: This team will create a magazine or pamphlet that will be distributed to the Hunter community. Film production/photography: This team will work with the other teams to help create the content necessary. If they choose too they have the option of creating a short film or ad that portrays a message relative to feminism. Public relations/street team: This team will recruit new members, find event locations, and create strategies to reach the Hunter college community and help maintain engagement with outside members. Vice President: This person will work with president and treasurers to help maintain proper structure within the collective. Treasurer: This person will take care of all budgeting for the collective throughout the semester.

This fits into my portfolio because I have the skills to help create and oversee all of the media content being produced. I will be helping others recognize their talents and capabilities in several media based formats all while supporting a great movement. This experience will allow for my team work and problem solving skills to develop further and prepare the group members as well as my self for any work field. This club will be created in the hopes that it will carry on even after graduation.

Important Links

http://www.redletterpress.org/feminism101.html

http://www.acuoptimist.com/2009/02/feminism-misrepresented-by-common-stereotypes/ , Melby 2009

http://womenagainstfeminism.com/feminism-is-not-about-equality/