The Corp is set to host HoyasForShe Week starting Feb. 12 to raise awareness for gender equity issues. This is part of the university’s partnership with the U.N. HeForShe campaign, an international effort encouraging men to end gender inequality. As an IMPACT Champion, the university committed to working toward ending sexual misconduct, increasing gender equity at higher levels of leadership, and working with different student groups to realize these goals.
Events include a screening at The Hilltoss of the documentary, “Miss Representation,” a film about gender equality issues in America’s public service, an open mic night at Uncommon Grounds of only female performers, Women’s and Gender Studies professor office hours outside Midnight MUG, and a bake sale hosted by Corp Accounting. The bake sale will sell products at different prices based on wage gap statistics, and all proceeds will go to the House of Ruth, a D.C. social service organization that supports and houses women.
Midnight MUG will host a phonathon Feb. 15, providing scripts for participants to call congress members to lobby on different gender equity issues. The Corp is also teaming with Health and Education Services to subsidize updated bathroom stickers with information about pregnancy services available on campus.
Along with Georgetown Facilities and Georgetown University Graduate Student Government (GradGov), The Corp will also help fund six free tampon and pad dispensers being implemented in restrooms on campus.
Vital Vittles and Hoya Snaxa will have collection bins to collect menstrual hygiene products for Thrive DC, an organization working to reduce homelessness and assist vulnerable residents.
The HeForShe campaign is part of the U.N. Women Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality initiative that works with 30 different institutions worldwide, including ten universities, ten corporations, and ten governments. Georgetown is one of two universities in the U.S. that has made this commitment. President John Dejioia announced this partnership Feb. 23, 2016.
To fulfill this promise, Georgetown administration reached out to four large student groups including The Corp, GUSA, Blue and Gray, and GUAFSCU. HoyasForShe Week is one of the ways The Corp is participating.
Olivia Hinerfeld (SFS ’17), The Corp’s chair of social impact, said this week was a way to highlight the progress and work being completed in the community as part of the HeForShe campaign.
“I really saw The Corp’s role in this as two-fold,” The Corp CEO Taylor Tobin (COL ’17) said. “One, as a large employer of students, we employ 360 students. It’s really important that everyone from a new hire through all the way to my position as CEO is able to achieve what they want to achieve, regardless of their gender.”
This is the first year in The Corp’s 45 year history with an all-female upper management. The COO, CFO, and CEO are all women, which Tobin said makes this an exciting and appropriate time to host HoyasForShe and spread awareness about these issues.
“We’re cognizant of the fact that mentorship is important,” Hinerfeld said. While this event is only one week, Tobin and Hinerfeld hope other campus organizations will see this as an issue they can take on as well, something they said is proved by the different events, from sexual misconduct climate surveys to feminine hygiene accessibility.
Bella Todaro (SFS ‘17), director of human resources at The Corp, said mentorship, advocating for self and others, as well as actively engaging women and men can have a significant impact on cultural change in the community.
“Being a successful woman in college and beyond is all about being able to pull other women up with you,” wrote Todaro in an email to the Voice. “And I certainly have been pulled by so many strong Corpie women.”
