Politically Savvy: Is Feminism Dead on College Campuses?

So what is going on? Why are feminists getting such a bad rap? And why do so many college women think they can't be feminists? No doubt, many are scared off by the notion of radical feminists who burn bras and don't shave their legs; who organize protest and hate men and complain about it all the time. Yet these kinds of radical feminists are few and far between, and a new culture of feminism is slowly growing in colleges that focuses on those issues affecting college women.

A key issue in the debate about feminism in college is the Greek system. Many people feel that sororities today can be a vehicle for female empowerment, giving young women community service opportunities, leadership skills, and career networking opportunities for the future. However, others claim that sororities focus on binge-drinking, partying, and boys, and that they promote the same stereotypes of women that feminists are trying to work against. However, one sorority in particular is trying to stand out as a unique feminist sorority. Zeta Omega Eta at Trinity College is a feminist sorority - and the only one of its kind in the nation.

"We thought the word 'sorority,' much like the word 'feminist,' should be reclaimed," said Zeta Omega Eta founder Meghan Boone in an article in Salon.com. Her co-founder, Anne-Louise Marquis, speaks about the stigma around the word "feminist": "Some sisters don't want themselves or Zeta to feel defined or limited by such a powerful word. Others join with stigmatized views of it, which we try and discuss as often as possible. Try as we might, there are still stereotypes that go along with the word that some people have trouble identifying with. I think it's Zeta's job on this campus and everywhere to help give this word a positive image."

It's an interesting concept that has certainly gained popularity at Trinity, and could be the beginning of a national trend. "There is a movement to make these groups more progressive and relevant in the 21st century because they understand that if they don't progress they might get wiped out," says Alexandra Robbins, author of "Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities," also in an article in Salon.com. "The day might not be so far away when a 'feminist sorority' no longer has to be just a 'local,'" Robbins says (Zeta Omega Eta has no national parent organization and is referred to as a 'local').

Aside from the issues raised by the Greek system, there are still other gender issues college women are facing. For instance, the fact that 56% of college students are women may seem like a positive thing, and has even increased the number of women's studies programs throughout the country. But, this can actually also have an adverse effect. The high number of college women is forcing colleges to work harder to recruit more men, making the college admissions process more competitive for women -- simply because they are women.

At work, young women still face a wage gap. On average, women are paid seventy-six cents to the man's dollar for the same work, an statistic which any woman should find more than slightly alarming. The American Association of University Women just released a study last April announcing that just one year out of college, women earn eighty percent of what men do.

Plenty of university women are doing what they can to call attention to these issues through women's studies programs, feminist student organizations, and activism, but not enough. We've come a long way since the days when women eschewed college for early marriage and staying home with the kids, but young women today are still struggling against stereotyping, wage gaps, tougher college admissions, and above all, a negative stigmatization of feminism that makes young women afraid to speak up for the equality that they rightfully deserve. Feminism is not dead - but it is certainly far from where it could be.