Thursday, March 8, 2012

Feminist Pride Day

Today I am wearing a button emblazoned with "This is What A Feminist Looks Like." March 8 is the third annual Feminist Pride Day, which takes place on International Women's Day. I've been a feminist since I joined the National Organization for Women in college and am proud to greet the quizzical looks I receive with a smile and explanation.

Feminists believe in gender equity. We believe that there are no barriers to the advancement of women in science except those put in place artificially by our social structures. We attack those barriers. We celebrate the achievements of extraordinary women and are glad to see increasing recognition of these achievements by the AAS. We work hard to ensure that implicit bias, stereotyping, and inequitable treatment are expunged from our environments. We know that while more girls graduate from college than boys, the paucity of role models makes it hard for women to advance in many fields. We care about and try to mitigate the pressures facing young women and their partners struggling to reconcile dual careers and to balance work and family life.

Being a feminist is rewarding -- we make a difference in the careers and lives of those around us. Are you a feminist, too?

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