As the 2023–24 school year begins, Shorewood High School’s Feminist club has started off on another positive note.
The club, led by four juniors, helps to encourage positive feminism by educating young people about historical female figures and fundraising for various groups of women.
“[We mainly] promote self advocacy for young women and young people in general,” said Andrina Roberts, junior member. “We’re making a difference for ourselves and [creating] an inclusive environment that upholds the values of feminism.”
Over the years, the club has engaged in many school wide activities including period product drives, bake sales, walkouts, and fundraisers.
“We have lots of fresh perspectives from lots of different people and [we] gain a lot of insight from different experiences and women,” said Edie Dembroski, junior and club president. “In my freshman year we did a Roe v. Wade walkout. A lot of people shared their experiences with that, and being able to be part of that was very interesting.”
In the winter of 2023, the club’s primary event focused on the crisis in Ukraine.
“Last school year, we [supported] women in Ukraine,” Roberts said. “That held special significance for one of our former leaders because she has family in Ukraine, so she knows intimately the effects the crisis has on women specifically.”
Lisa McFarland, SHS French teacher, became advisor for the club after former students asked her to take over.
“[The students] really take initiative,” McFarland said. “I get to sit back and watch their brilliant minds throw things together. They’re really inspired and I love working with them [because] it inspires me [as well].”
Making it her own, Dembroski shares what a typical meeting looks like.
“We start off our meetings with an informational slideshow on an important woman in history or important women in the feminist movement,” Dembroski said. “We take turns making the slideshow, so everyone has an opportunity if they want and after that we start working and planning for our next fundraiser or bake sale.”
Amelia Kohler, junior, enjoys planning and organizing events that help to take action on causes the club is passionate about.
“I’ve been part of several clubs that don’t really do anything successful and just exist to put on college applications,” Kohler said. “But last year and this year, I feel like we’ve done a lot of fundraisers and [additional events] to support organizations.”
Currently, the club is holding a product drive, where SHS students will bring in any menstrual products they can give. The proceeds will go to an organization called Pregnancy Options Wisconsin: Education, Resources and Support Incorporated (POWERS) is an organization made up of doctors, educators and activists looking to support pregnant people.
“I would say that our main goal as a club is fundraising for local organizations who are supporting the feminist movement and making a difference to the local community,” said Dembroski.
Later this year, the club plans to bring attention to the annual Denim Day, a movement club members are especially interested in.
“Denim Day [helps] to bring awareness to sexual assault and rape victims,” Roberts said. “[In 1992,] the Italian court ruled that a rapist wasn’t guilty because the victim was wearing tight jeans, so everyone is supposed to wear denim on that day to show solidarity [against the ruling].”
Moving forward, the club hopes to stay well-informed and bring awareness to current events and the struggles presented to women worldwide.
“We really want to focus on taking direct action,” Roberts said. “If there’s a big issue that comes up politically around the world, we’d want to support that, especially in the context of feminism.”