As a general rule, people should learn about women’s studies. Women’s studies is important to know because it gives perspective on what women go through everyday. Society should know how women are judged and treated because of the clothes they have on, and how women are body shamed and how women don’t have the same opportunities as men just because they are a woman because women.

When it comes to women’s studies and advocating for education, Hazelwood West’s Kelly Russell is the expert. She has been teaching for 23 years and she teaches Women’s Studies, Social Justice and Government. Russell is an advocate for the young women and men of West to learn about women’s studies. 

“It’s important to learn about women’s studies. For our young women and young men because it’s been left out in what is considered the required history. The content and historical perspective of women should be reflected in the general curriculum,”  Russell said.

When it comes to women’s pay in the workforce, women earn an average of 17% less than men according to Forbs (Gender Pay Gap). People should know these things, especially women. People should know what they are combating against just for being a woman.

“We still see in areas such as teaching that have traditionally been womens career paths. The way those careers are viewed in society and treated in society as the level of respect the pay etc…etc. Is still kind of lingering the effect of this being a women dominating profession it’s still treating that way and lesser”. Russell said. 

Gender is social identity, it is socially constructed. Gender is never fixed even though it changes across time and region. And it’s not fair to people around the world.

“The concept of gender is something that is ever changing and has changed throughout history, depending on where you are on the planet. We know that it’s something that society deems and something we need to do because we get those messages everywhere from family ,place of worship and media. We are basically bombarded on how we are supposed to behave as a boy or as a girl and it can be extremely damaging especially if you don’t fit into the box and whose determining what the box is and why do we believe that’s right and never question it,” Russell said. 

When gender rules are brought up in conversations, women are thought to be the victims. But after every education people figure out that both men and women are victims in both parties.

“Anything from glaring side-eye to derogatory names potentially as we see locally here. Librarians who weren’t conforming to gender norms in the way they dress it was a hole protest the group was trying to get them fired for dressing outside their gender or to feminine. Also remember that these issues that are built into our system the patriarchy doesn’t just damage our women but also damage our boys,” Russell said.

“On a daily basis women go through double standards. Society has a problem or has something to say when women do something but if a man does the same things it’s okay.

Russell says, “It’s always a contradiction be pretty but not too pretty do stuff to yourself but not too much.Be skinny but not too skinny, Be assertive but not to { Bossy} . It’s always a contradiction of a line women have to walk and if not then they’re criticized if women don’t fix their face when people are around then they have an {Unfriendly} look on their face. But we don’t say that for men it is a constant contradiction,” Russel said.