Library, Clubs Celebrate Women’s History Month

by SONIA DHOLAKIA

Women’s History Month, which takes place during March, is a time to commemorate and encourage the contributions of women to both history and their communities today. At Menlo, this month is celebrated in different campus groups, which complements various groups’ year-long commitment to uplifting female students.

Multiple student-run clubs are focused on encouraging female advocacy in different fields, ranging from computer science to politics. One of these clubs is the Women in STEM club. “One of the missions of our club is to just provide a space for women in STEM to collaborate, to feel like you can talk about your experience in STEM, and also to provide a lot of women in STEM with opportunities that they may not get,” club co-leader and junior Taylor Tam said.

The Women in STEM club hopes to encourage girls at Menlo to become more involved in science industries through programs where club members are paired with female professionals in STEM, or by bringing in guest speakers to share their experiences as working women in an often male-dominated field.

According to Tam, it is easy to feel like an outsider in STEM classes at Menlo. Tam is one of only two female students in her advanced topics computer science course. “It can be slightly discouraging,” Tam said. “I just hope to see a lot more equal representation.”

Other clubs hope to increase female interest and engagement in politics, whether that be at the domestic or international level. Girls Learn

International has a chapter at Menlo where members meet to discuss issues facing women around the world. “GLI at Menlo educates students on current issues women are facing globally, ranging from menstrual inequality to modern media,”

GLI co-leader and sophomore Avani Ganesan said.

IGNITE is another club focused on women in politics; they meet to discuss and debate current political events, as well as promote female leadership through helping group members set up LinkedIn profiles or crafting resumes.

While these groups hope to empower female students on campus throughout the year, the library highlights the contributions of women through their display of biographies and memoirs about important female figures. The library also something like a display that highlights voices that students or faculty may otherwise not have seen,” Head Librarian Brittney Otero said. “I’m hoping that seeing a display makes someone want to pick up a story either by or about a woman.” can do anything themselves,” she said.

During the month, students were also prompted to write the names of women who have inspired them on a whiteboard pillar in the library, another way Otero hopes to promote conversation about women’s achievements. “There are important women figures throughout history, but then also in our own personal lives,” she said.

In the present and in the future, Tam hopes to see more women join fields that men often dominate. “We’re always trying to get more women involved,” she said. “I hope to see women feel like they’re encouraged to speak up and have authority as well.” exhibits fiction books written by a diverse group of female writers. “[The library] is just a really great communal place to see

Otero hopes that the library’s celebration of Women’s History Month will inspire girls on campus. “I hope that they see [the display] and realize that they

While March may be designated to celebrate women’s history, to Otero, the month is also about what women will achieve in the future. “It’s really important to show that we as a community, we really value women’s voices, we want to uplift them,” Otero said. “Each year there’s some new achievement or accomplishment that a woman has achieved, and it’s never going to stop, and I love that we just constantly keep uplifting it.”