Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity

Get informed, involved, and empowered.

OUR PURPOSE: Approaching our work from a social justice lens, we practice intersectional trans-inclusive feminism to challenge the status quo and promote gender equity by raising awareness of important issues related to gender and sexism, providing opportunities to translate awareness into action, and empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and others. We aim to INFORM, INVOLVE, and EMPOWER members of the KU community.

It is critical to understand gender and sexism — as they intersect with other identities and systems of oppression — because they influence everyone's experiences, choices, opportunities, access to resources, and outcomes. The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity (ETC) is here to confront sexism and advance gender equity. With this purpose in mind, the ETC provides education, involvement opportunities, and tools to combat stereotypical notions of gender and barriers that inhibit students’ academic success, persistence to graduation, and ability to thrive in the workplace. Find out more about our programs and services below.

Located in Suite 1040 of the Burge Union, the ETC contributes to a welcoming, inclusive campus climate for people of all gender identities and works to provide a safer space for marginalized people. We welcome people of all identities and abilities — who appreciate difference, practice inclusion, and support our commitment to equity — to share our space.

WHAT WE DO:

The ETC provides programming, services, assistance, advocacy, and support to campus community members of all gender identities.

We offer a variety of events — like our Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series, Documentary Discussion Series, and Feminist Parenting Series, among many others — that work to raise people's awareness of the impact of gender and sexism on our lives.

We provide presentations to classes, student organizations, staff, and faculty members on topics related to gender, including Understanding Gender & Gender Equity 101, Intersectional Feminism 101, Masculinities 101, and Pay Equity & Salary Negotiation. We also offer Make Mini Zines! Workshops for the KU and Lawrence communities. Fill out a presentation or workshop request form here.

In addition, we honor people who work towards gender equity through our annual recognition program and Women's Hall of Fame.

We are also always here to lend a listening ear. We understand that life is tough sometimes, and we are here to act a resource for the entire KU community.

WHY FEMINISM?

There are many misconceptions about feminism. Among them are the notion that there is a single, monolithic feminism; that feminism is inherently anti-male; that all feminism is trans-exclusionary; and that feminism only addresses the needs of white, middle class women. In fact, there are many feminisms and they are always evolving.

At the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, we promote and practice a feminism that aims to challenge sexism as it intersects with other systems of oppression (including racism, cisheterosexism, and ableism, among others). Our feminism is trans-inclusive; we believe that people of all gender identities and expressions deserve the right to bodily autonomy, self-definition, respect, and safety. Our feminism is also male-inclusive; we work to address the ways patriarchy and toxic masculinity negatively affect men by promoting healthier models of feminist masculinity. Ultimately, our feminism strives to end the ideology of domination that characterizes our present society.

To learn more about the feminism we advocate and enact — and why it is for everyone — we recommend you read Black feminist scholar bell hooks's concise primer, Feminism Is For Everybody: Passionate Politics. The full text is available online at: http://bit.ly/FeminismIsForEverybody.

DID YOU KNOW?

Only 24% of all Distinguished Professors at KU are women.
Of the 165 members of the Kansas Legislature, only 47 are women.
Women make up half the population of Kansas but hold only 18% of the judicial positions.
Of Kansas families with a single-female head of household, 33% live below the poverty level.
Median earnings in Kansas for women are just 77% of what median earnings are for men. The gap is wider for marginalized women.
Women take on more student debt than men but are paid less when they graduate from college. This figure is elevated for marginalized women.

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