Why It Matters

Women aren't special.

I'm sorry but they aren't.

Women are human, we are all human.  They have different struggles, but everyone has struggles.  It is important to recognize them, acknowledge them, and the try to alleviate them, but it's important to do that for everyone... not just women.

Recently my University changed the "Women's Studies" program to "Diversity and Social Justice Studies", a change I was enthusiastically in favour of.

Some people thought this was a ridiculous move, that it didn't matter.  Some thought that it didn't make sense because it was still "women's studies" but by a fancier name.

The reason it changed it's name is because it's not all about studying women. It's about looking at... well, Diversity and Social Justice.

Women have struggled historically, but so have people with disabilities, various ethnicities and races, homosexual, asexual, bisexual people, transgendered people, men who do not fit into the societal norm of "masculine", men for various other reasons, people who don't conform to gender, sexuality or sex normatives.... they have all struggled, they have all faced discrimination and hatred directed towards them, they are all human and they all have the right to be acknowledged as such and offered the same human rights as other humans.

They are all important.

My "Sex and Culture" course, my "Theories of the Body" course, "Aboriginal People & The State in Canada" course, my "Masculinity Studies" course, my "People and Animals" course... none of them have anything specifically to do with women.

They have to do with people, and the way people treat others.

So it matters that Women's Studies changed it's name, because it's important that we acknowledge everyone and treat everyone fairly.

Equality shouldn't have boundaries.


(side note, you should all watch this: Laci Green- Why I'm a Feminist )