Preach it, Em

Her Campus Barnard is bringing a new wave of feminism to Columbia and Barnard, encouraging men to get in on the action of gender equality. Inquisitive investigator Lili Brown met with the brass of Her Campus Barnard to discuss the recent movement and its role on campus. 

Her Campus Barnard yesterday morning released a photo campaign on their website to encourage the Columbia/Barnard community to join the HeForShe movement. If you aren’t familiar with the latest pro-feminism movement, you clearly aren’t following almost-Columbia student Emma Watson as much as you should be; Watson’s speech on behalf of the campaign at the UN in late September brought HeForShe to the limelight.

HeForShe, a global organization that is part of the umbrella UN Women organization, invites men to support the idea that gender inequality is a global issue by participating in grassroots Internet activism. With the photo campaign, Her Campus Barnard strives to “share this message with the Columbia and Barnard community both to encourage a positive dialogue and show that there are men on this campus who are committed to inspiring change.”

To get some more insight on the motivations and goals for the publication bringing HeForShe to our campus, Bwog reached out to Rachel Bernstein and Tali Weisner, Editors-in-Chief of Her Campus Barnard.

Bwog: How did the males you photographed get involved? Did you approach them, or was there a more open mode of contact?

Her Campus Barnard: We reached out to them. Initially, we wanted to target fraternities and athletic teams in particular – groups that are typically considered “unfeminist.” We wanted to showcase the men in these communities who are dedicated to inspiring change. Ultimately, our reach extended beyond those communities, to other campus organizations like SHARP, and men who aren’t athletes, or members of greek life, because the campaign does and should go beyond that.

Bwog: What’s your intended time-goal with the campaign – as in, is this a stepping stone to become a larger, long-term association or cause, or is it geared towards a temporary awareness project?

HCB: We of course intend to extend the reach of this campaign as far as possible. We don’t consider it a stepping stone so much as an attempt to open up a dialogue on campus and do it in a public forum that is conducive to a campus-wide movement. By inviting other male students to join the movement and publicly show their solidarity, we think this campaign will extend beyond its temporary virality.

Bwog: How do you think the photo campaign will be received by the greater student population in an effort to create real and lasting social change? How do you plan to combat any criticism, if any?

HCB: Thus far, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But, people are likely going to disagree with it and we’re not blind to the points of criticism. For example, HeForShe has been scrutinized for ‘relying on’ men to gain public reach. But, this particular movement is about equality. Feminism is by definition, “The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” (UNWomen.org). And in order to effectively communicate equality, we feel that vocalized support is necessary on the part of both women and men. As members of the Barnard community in which women are typically advocates for this cause, we’ve largely accomplished “SheForShe.” HeForShe is just as important.

Bwog: It’s very easy for people to hold up a sign and show support publicly in an effort to go viral on the web, but that doesn’t necessarily always equate or lead to greater social change. What kinds of grassroots or behind-the scenes efforts are in place to try to instill the real message you’re trying to convey so that people practice it and spread the message in their private lives as well?

HCB: We recognize that holding up a sign does not create change in itself. However, it is our intention for this photo campaign to not only spark a dialogue on this campus, but to mobilize men to join the global HeForShe movement. Through our campaign, we hope to make the message more accessible—to become a channel through which Columbia students can learn more about the movement, take the official commitment online, and internalize its message to prevent discrimination and all forms of violence faced by women. In terms of mobilizing action, we are a publication above all else—our job and our goal is dialogue. This is a cause that Her Campus Barnard stands behind and which is especially pertinent to our community. The Columbia administration has publicly faced a lot of criticism recently surrounding their mishandling of gender misconduct and sexual assault on campus. These issues are salient, and in light of recent policy changes and increasing student activism, we’re so impressed with the progress that has taken place. There is obviously more that needs to be done on the part of the administration, but we also feel the need to open up a dialogue that is explicitly positive amongst students. There is room here for us to take hold of the conversation, and this photo campaign is part of our attempt to achieve that goal.

Bwog: Anything else you would like to add?

HCB: We invite everyone to join our photo campaign! You can print one of our signs or make your own using the hashtag #HeForShe. Then, take a photo of yourself, explain why you take the commitment, upload to your social media channels and be sure to tag @HerCampusBarnard on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and we will add you to the campaign!

Empowering men & women everywhere via The Inspiration Room