What Women’s History Month?

editorial cartoon by Christian A. Lopez
editorial cartoon by Christian A. Lopez

February is long gone, and March is disappearing fast. But wait, has the University of La Verne forgotten something-something long due to a people whose voices have been remained unheard of with their history untold.

A hint, if you please. Campus Times enjoyed publishing weekly stories in honor of Black History Month. Through these stories many students, faculty and staff were able to learn a lot about the customs, ideals, fashions and so forth of a culture that has long deserved recognition.

And in fact, Campus Times would love to honor any other culture that makes steps in hosting events that will cause some type of awareness.

But doesn’t the meaning of a culture include more than just the ethnic background of certain people? Cannot ‘culture ‘also include a gender as well?

You should know (though most people don’t) March is Women’s History Month. And looking around, many may sense that this important culture is being ignored as it usually is.

There may be classes recognizing ethnic issues, French and Asian History, African colonization and so forth on this campus, but can anyone honestly say there are any classes recognizing the efforts and struggles of womankind? Of course not.

In fact, ULV remains far behind most campuses in terms of women’s recognition. We cease to have a Women’s Studies major offered, or a feminist history course. This seems odd considering that a large percentage, more than half of students, are female.

As usual, all women, no matter their ethnic background, have been left on their own. The lack of recognition is so bad that some students even thought the month of March was Irish History Month.

Well yes, the Irish have gone through much sorrow throughout history, and yes we do celebrate their culture with Saint Patrick’s Day, but have you ever stopped to say ‘Hey, why isn’t there a holiday that honors all women, not just mothers, out there?’

Then you may argue, “But there aren’t any holidays honoring only men.”

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it seems as though everything around this whole university, nation and world honors men. Look at your history books for example. Now look closely at the word “history.” Notice something odd? Why yes, there is the word “his” in it. “History” is really: “his” and “story” put together. His story. And who, by the way, is mentioned in stories within your history books? All men of course!

This is only because the men thought it best to leave their women behind while they set off west, conquered wars and met other women.

What about the jobs that men thought were too “girly” for “real” men to do? Now, because men found out they could make money doing these same jobs, we see them taking over the fashion industry, the cooking industry and even the dishwashing industry. The best hair-designers are men. This also goes for the make-up industry.

Then consider the many injustices women had to suffer, throughout the centuries. Women were one of the last groups to gain the right to vote; they have to fight to exercise their reproductive rights; they were beaten and raped without any type of special rights over their husbands; their property was taken away upon their husbands’ death.

Female babies are not as valuable as males in many countries. Women are still not being paid as much as their male counterparts.

Though their plight still goes unnoticed, women continue to fight the world, but without acting with animosity. Women, after all, were brought up to be polite, gentle, loving and good listeners.

It is not their big accomplishments that should be noticed then; it is the little and important things that women do everyday, that should also be praised.

One day men will see that without women, they can’t exist. (Literally.)

Perhaps the whole Adam/Eve incident has made women become the evil ones in society, but then men forget whom they deem the stronger of the two genders.

They may be stronger in terms of physical strength, but when it comes down to emotional strength, men become weak.

Many women have contributed greatly in moving the women’s roles up the totem pole, yet they are uncelebrated and are usually hidden behind the dainty roles that the male historians prefer to describe.

Mary Baker Eddy, Hilary Clinton, Rosa Parks, Lady Bird Johnson, Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony. All of these women could have been the basis of a class for the university, yet as most male-orientated institutions, it chooses to ignore these female accomplishments, preferring to settle behind the teachings of colonization and philosophy instead.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Christian A. Lopez, Staff Writer
Christian A. Lopez

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