A Note From a Feminist in a Sorority

"How can you be a feminist and in a sorority?” is a question I get asked more often than I feel I should. Feminism is the belief that all genders are treated equally, and when we look at the history of sorority life, it’s hard to not see the two hand-in-hand. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women at Colby College in 1874. Women in colleges were about as common as the people who actually mean it when they say “my diet starts tomorrow.” Seeing as they were far and few in between, women in the collegiate scene had to fight very hard to be seen as equals and to gain respect from their male counterparts. Essentially these five women, along with all the founders of every other sorority, are "super-feminists" themselves, so I find it hard to not identity myself as one as well; the goal of sorority life isn’t what the movies make it out to be, but to shape yourself and your sisters into well-rounded, empowered women.

Not only do I feel like a stronger version of myself since joining Sigma Kappa, but I have encountered so many inspiring women from my sorority experience. Elyse Hoekstra, a Sigma Kappa TCNJ alumna, is probably the most phenomenal, inspiring woman I have ever met (and a feminist!!). Not only does she aspire to help women around the world, but she also does so much for our community. She is a trained Womanspace volunteer, which is an organization in Mercer County that provides assistance, support, and advocacy on behalf of victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence*. She has taught me so much about being an empowered woman and how to better myself in all that I do.

With that, sorority life is about giving autonomy and strength to each other. It’s about building up others to thrive and succeed. It’s a community of women supporting each other (and all groups of other genders) unconditionally. So yes, I am a feminist, and yes, I am a sorority woman, and no, those aren’t mutually exclusive.

*to learn more about Womanspace and all that it does along with the resources it provides, please go to www.womanspace.org