Girls Supporting Girls

Feminist Club and CHS Celebrate Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is such an important time for everyone to come together and celebrate girl power both on an international level and in our school community. Throughout the year, but especially during the month of March, CHS’s Feminist Club has been celebrating and raising awareness for this wonderful movement.

Feminist Club, a powerful group of young women at CHS, meet regularly to talk about social issues impacting women in society. They use their skills to do outreach work and help support women in CHS and beyond.

“Since my freshman year, it’s felt like a safe place to talk about important current events, touch upon some hard topics that all women have to face, and even address what we can do within the CHS community to make it the best it can be for all of the amazing women here,” Livie Timmins, co president of Feminist Club reflects.

We are so fortunate to be in a community with strong female role models. Isabelle Crawford, co-president of the Feminist Club writes, “Within CHS we are lucky enough to be learning in an environment where women are taking on a variety of leadership roles. From our assistant principal Ms.Cavanaugh, to our superintendent of schools Dr. Fischer-Meuller, to the very teachers we see every day, we are constantly surrounded by female role models who reinforce the idea that women are qualified and capable of filling any positions!”

Feminist Club traditionally celebrates Women’s Month by volunteering at a women’s homeless shelter in Boston. However, with the coronavirus, the club reimagined their service project in order to make an impact on women’s lives without leaving Canton High School!

Timmins is excited for Feminist Club to help bring change to women outside of the CHS community.“With our current project, we are creating care packages for the women at Rosie’s Place, a women’s homeless shelter in Boston. We’re so proud to be expanding the change that Feminist Club can bring to not just the CHS community, but hopefully to so many women in the Boston area.”

These care packages come in three different varieties: toiletries (toothbrushes, body wash, etc.), personal care (socks, hand sanitizer, etc.), and art, which I found surprising.

You wouldn’t think, when donating to a shelter, to include things like stickers, journals, and markers in your donation bag, but after a read through the Rosie’s Place website, you can tell why these donations are so important!

Rosie’s Place isn’t just trying to help women get off the street, they are trying to make them feel safe, loved, and supported. They offer art classes to women that are not solely therapeutic! As stated on their website, “Since 1996, the Women’s Craft Cooperative has been providing part-time, paid work to guests, who create one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift items.”

Going along with that, Rosie’s Place isn’t your traditional homeless shelter. They don’t just focus on their community’s immediate needs, but they set them on the path to success. By offering classes and support for women in need, they set them up for a bright future and with limitless opportunities.

The Rosie’s Place website advertises these services saying, “Women can take English as a Second or Other Language, Literacy and computer classes in our Women's Education Center and find assistance with job and housing searches.”

It is clear that Rosie’s Place and Feminist Club send a message of optimism and hope, which is proudly displayed throughout the school. The Rosie’s Place donation box in the foyer of the CHS lobby, and Feminist Club also created posters that are hung up around the school to celebrate the Women’s March serve as constant reminders of inclusion and acceptance.

“Some of our projects have a direct impact on the students at CHS, like the Women’s March posters that we created in January addressing body positivity and what the true meaning of feminism is,” Timmins says, referencing the fantastic display of posters in the history hallway.

These posters are so much more than just decorations. They are inspirational reminders of empowerment and girl power for the students of CHS.

However, the reminders of feminism don’t stop at the end of the history hallway, they extend virtually as well. The CHS Daily News website features women in history who helped pave the way for gender equality and whose work showcases girl power. Amazing figures like Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Sonia Sotamayor, Serena Williams, and Malala Yousafzai are celebrated for their work in empowering women and supporting feminism. Interested in reading about these figures? Click here to learn more about these awesome role models!

“Without annual celebrations like these, many achievements and stories of the past would go untold and uncredited. It is so important to understand that, as the younger generation, it is not only our job to preserve and celebrate the stories of the fierce and fearless women who have carried the banner for us so far, but also recognize that we are paving the way for the incredible women who will come after us,” Crawford explains.

During the entire year, but especially during Women’s Month, it is so important to celebrate and support all people. If you are interested in donating to the Rosie’s Place care package drive, you can learn more about it here.

Women’s Month is such an exciting time all over the globe and around our very own school! Remember to take time to celebrate women, and also do something good for those in your community both during and after Women’s History Month. As Crawford put it, “As a proud leader of Feminist Club and determined young woman, it is my hope that one day, the contributions of women to history are celebrated not just in the month of March, but every day!”