Arriving into a degree program where women are a small minority can be a daunting experience. It goes beyond the widely acknowledged, and frankly over-discussed imposter syndrome.
Women were only formally admitted into the University of Edinburgh in 1892 and while that may seem like long time ago, it’s important to point out women still make up a visible minority of students in informatics, engineering, and physics. To counter this male-dominance, ‘Women-in’ societies have become more and more common. They don’t only exist for STEM degrees, but also in the humanities and all sorts of areas in between.
These societies create a sense of community and support for women who could otherwise have felt isolated and disadvantaged by male majorities. The benefits seem obvious, but could these societies accidentally be segregating the very groups they want to include?
Where a ‘Women-in’ society exists, a general all-gender equivalent already exists too. Should we, instead of creating separate groups for women, focus on making the already existing groups more inclusive for women?
The general societies, which are meant for everyone, could unintentionally become the male counterpart to ‘Women-in’ societies. This could decrease female membership in the general societies, continuing the cycle of women feeling out of place in a society they have every right to be part of. The same logic could be extended to committees: if ‘Women-in’ societies have a committee of capable and hard-working women, does this take them away from the much needed representation on general societies’ committees?
Not quite. ‘Women-in’ committees add opportunities rather than divert them. They offer women a guaranteed seat at the table, removing the additional hurdle of conscious or unconscious sexism in elections. They give confidence to women who might not have put themselves forward otherwise and ignite more passion in those who want to fight for equality.
It is worth noting that these societies can build a support network for other gender minorities who face gender-based discrimination. This is another benefit, and a point of inclusion, that can often be overlooked in general societies.
In an ideal world there would be no need for ‘Women-in’ societies, but total gender equality isn’t expected to be reached any time soon, so for now the need remains. These societies create a tight-knit community of like-minded women to support each other, and these networks can help lead to success academically and professionally. The risk of segregation is real, but it’s outweighed by the good these societies do, as long as we are vigilant in making sure that risk doesn’t become reality.
Image by Max Brown for The Student
