How ATHENA is empowering the women of Bucknell
‘Women make the world go round’
Last week ATHENA, Bucknell’s on-campus women’s empowerment club, ran a “proud-to-be” campaign. Women who walked by their table in the library would write why they were proud to be a woman, and some men would write down why women should be proud.
A collage of strong, successful women was taped to the front of the table, including Maya Angelou, Madonna and Beyonce. The goal of the campaign was to empower women and publicize their pride.
I have a voice, Women make the world go round, We can do anything
Women often couldn’t immediately think of a reason to be proud, and this campaign allowed them to think of a reason they were amazing. The most common quote was “I am strong,” followed closely by a Beyonce quote, “we run the world.” The common theme among the notecards was confidence and unity.
Although many more women participated in the project than men, the men were most excited. If they were busy, they would get the tabling schedule and make sure to come back. If they weren’t, they would give women messages of power and support. Among the men’s messages, there was “Moms are dope,” and “the world belongs to you and you are special.”
The world belongs to you and you are special
While the majority of the passing women at least promised to stop by later, there were the occasional passersby who ignored the request to be part of the campaign, or even scoffed. The campaign was not well received by everyone, but the people who were a part of it seemed to care very little, if at all. The objective was to give women a reason to be proud, not to make everybody happy.
Anything’s possible, if only you’ve got enough nerve
The ATHENA members rotated shifts tabling and photographing. The final result, a bulletin board with all the cards and pictures on it, will likely be displayed in the ELC or the library in the coming weeks.