Feminists rebut IWF

Recently, a group called "SheThinks.org," a project of the Independent

Women's Forum, bought space in the Tufts Daily in an attempt to promote an anti-feminist agenda. If you look at their website you will find that their writers are so good at using "spin" that they practically had us thinking that Title IX, a federal act that was responsible for assuring that girls be provided with an equal opportunity to engage in organized sports as boys, was somehow discriminating to boys instead of creating a level playing field!

In their recent advertisement they positioned themselves at the Truthsayers, and some un-named "radical feminists" as those promoting myths in order to promote an anti-male agenda. It was obvious that their goal was to persuade us that all "radical feminists" were the same and that all of us were liars. It also implied that we like to bash men, and that our desire to see gender equality promoted as a standard in male-female relationships was somehow bad and dishonest.

They then came out with their list of "myths" that these un-named Radical feminists are promoting. Most of the information does not include any sources, so that any intelligent person (such as most of us here at Tufts) would immediately question their veracity. Some DO have sources, but are spun in such a way that the truth is hard to find. For example, the facts that supposedly debunk Myth #1 start by saying that the study by Ms. Magazine is fallacious. What makes the study fallacious? That IWF says so? The next study mentions that the researcher was handpicked by Gloria Steinem.

So what? The implication here is that anyone handpicked by Gloria Steinem must be a dishonest researcher. Then, we are told that 73 percent of the young women she counted as rape victims were not aware they had been raped. So what? When girls are on a date, they are often made to feel as if they are responsible for controlling the extent to which sex occurs. When sex gets out of control, they can feel like it was their mistake -- even if they said, "no."

The truth is, sometimes girls just don't know how to say "no." But in order to judge the statement made by Ms. Steinem, what we really need to know is how the researchers defined "rape." As students, our desire is to become critical thinkers -- to look at statements like these in such a way that we can see what more we need to know in order to seek the truth.

One of the great problems in American society is that those who have the most access to the media and create the best "sound bites" are those whose words get perceived as truth. When people fail to think critically and simply consume what they are told, then whoever has the money to pay for advertisements can control the minds of the nation. This is a grave danger in a democracy.

As young "radical feminists," our desire is to help change the world into a place where peace, justice, and equality flourish. We would like to see more women in places of power -- not because we want to dominate and control, but because we'd like to have our chance at eradicating poverty, violence, and discrimination.

As the IWF website says, when young girls received equal opportunities to play sports, the result was that many boys lost some of their opportunities. Sadly, this is true. We are not happy that boys lost some of their opportunities. But when resources are limited, sometimes these things happen. As women advance, it could mean that some men are displaced. That is what equality means. We look for the greater good in all things, and believe that equal opportunity is more important than saving all the opportunities for boys and men.

If She Thinks puts more paid advertisements in our paper, let's hope that they do not treat us like idiots who cannot tell where the spin is. Give us all the research you base your propaganda on, and let us make up our own minds.

Lisa Gabbai and Anjuli Fahlberg are sophomores who have not yet declared majors.