After debuting back in May, the students behind Striving for Humanity and Equality (SHE) are still trying to start a conversation about gender equality in the Hub of the North.
SHE currently consists of at least 12 members from R.D. Parker Collegiate, ranging from Grade 9 to Grade 12 students.
“The main focus is just to spread awareness about the inequalities everywhere, from our school to the community to the whole world,” said Taylar Hanson-Oliveira, one of the group’s founders. “And we also just want to teach what feminism is because a lot of people don’t know.”
For Hanson-Oliveira, the ongoing #MeToo movement, where many women are coming forward publicly about their own personal experiences with sexual assault, was part of what spurred her to become a public advocates for gender equality at such a young age.
“I kind of realized when you start reading and hearing on the news about all the women that are taken advantage of and they’re asked ‘What were they wearing?’ or if they were drunk,” she said. “They’re not asking the rapist. That’s not even a problem.”
Fellow SHE member Chenelle Preston said she is frustrated with how certain female-centric topics are still considered forbidden or taboo in polite society.
“I realized it was kind of a problem since girls cannot talk about their periods or anything,” she said. “It’s unacceptable to talk about that. Why is it a bad thing to happen? It’s natural.”
Meanwhile, student Anika Paziuk had a very eye-opening experience during a recent babysitting gig, when the young girl put in her care expressed doubt that a female character on TV was capable of fixing a car because of her sex.
“That gave me chills. She’s only seven and she’s already in that mindset. We need to change that.”
Part of SHE’s strategy to bring about this kind of societal change involves tackling these issues on a local level.
One of their ongoing projects involves putting together purses full of female hygiene products for members of the homeless population, since many of them struggle to find their own supply of pads and tampons.
SHE members are also looking to organize their own version of the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, which would involve male students and teachers walking around the school in red high heels to raise awareness for violence against women.
While the group’s activities have already been green-lit by principal Rob Fisher, Preston said some school staff are still hesitant to throw their full support behind SHE.
“There’s been some things that we’ve been wanting to do but there’s been teachers that said that we can’t because it’s too ‘out there,’” said Preston. “I think a lot of the male students here think that we’re trying to be superior to them, but they don’t understand that we want equality and not to be seen as better than men.”
Currently, SHE’s members are looking to raise enough money to get their more elaborate projects off the ground, which includes attending the 2019 Winnipeg Women’s March in January.
“I think it would a really good learning experience, because you learn a lot about other people’s opinions on feminism and see what they’re doing to spread awareness,” said Hanson-Oliveira.
Anyone interested in joining the group or supporting their initiatives, financially or otherwise, can do so by contacting RDPC counsellor Tracy Hanson at thanson@mysterynet.mb.ca.
SHE’s activities are also being chronicled through the group’s Instagram account titled “she_rdpc.”
