COLUMN: No tears here

From Lee Baily's, "The Immaculate Perception?," Fall '96 From Lee Baily's, "The Immaculate Perception?," Fall '96Women have achieved parityFrom Lee Baily's, "The Immaculate Perception?," Fall '96Women have achieved paritywith men in nearly everyFrom Lee Baily's, "The Immaculate Perception?," Fall '96Women have achieved paritywith men in nearly everyaspect of University lfe. From Lee Baily's, "The Immaculate Perception?," Fall '96Women have achieved paritywith men in nearly everyaspect of University lfe.In Medea Euripides wrote, "Women are but women -- tears are their portion." And so it seems that even at Western civilization's birth, women had a unique anguish, separate from that of men. With the exception of the Amazons and the Iroquois, we are hard-pressed to name a society in which women seem to have had the upper hand. With the opening of Locust House, the new home of the Penn Women's Center, many in the University community have been pondering this issue. I would assert that in almost every conceivable respect, women at Penn enjoy a status at least equal to that of men. Such controversial analysis demands a careful methodology, and I have based my judgment on a three-pronged criteria: opportunity, voice and treatment. Having considered these factors and having also asked some Penn women their thoughts, I have concluded women at Penn are indeed equal to men. Turning first to the notion of opportunity, I asked myself and some female friends if women face obstacles in any aspect of life at Penn. One woman I know spoke for her gender: "The consensus is that women are not second-class students at Penn; we feel as if we have the same opportunities as men. I actually never think of a difference -- I just see us all as Penn students." The opportunity issue is defined in microcosm in the realm of intercollegiate athletics. Penn's female athletes seem to enjoy benefits similar to male athletes, on the playing field and in the locker room. But a recent report showing inequalities in participation by and funding for women in athletics has indicated otherwise. However, I wonder if any woman has been denied the opportunity to play? Could it be that women are simply less interested in sports than men? It seems women have equal opportunities in other arenas of University life as well. Is there any course or department that denies access to women, or even discourages them? In terms of extracurricular activities, are women prohibited from joining any group with the exception of Mask & Wig? No. Perhaps the most obvious example of women's equality at Penn can be seen in the administration. The most powerful administrator at Penn, University President Judith Rodin, is a woman. In addition to Rodin, Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman, Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson and former School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens all represent their gender in high-powered positions. While a handful of women in high places does not inherently prove equality, it does imply that decision-makers here do not view women as inferior. And don't let the word "token" be pronounced anywhere near College Hall -- there is no such thing as a "token" president of an Ivy League institution. Voice is a criterion related to opportunity. Do women have access to widely read media at Penn? Absolutely. Anyone is welcome to apply for a column in the DP, and indeed a woman has edited these very words. Our daily newspaper is certainly no Old Boys' Network. You can even find equality where you might least expect it. While the sometimes obnoxious but always sincere The Red and Blue may attack certain advocates of "womens' issues," its staff welcomes women interested in writing and editing. Lastly, there is the issue of the treatment of women. Are there situations unique to Penn in which women are categorically abused or mistreated? Not really. And while there are certainly some chauvinist male professors out there, I got the evil eye from a liberal female professor when I visited her feminist-themed course. Two wrongs certainly don't make a right, but sexism is not uniquely visited upon females. There will always be a few idiots who make incorrect judgments, but that is life for everyone. Despite these examples of equality, one woman student told me, "I think that although the Penn community touts itself as socially liberal, I still have come across, not outright sexism per se, but definite condescension from men towards women. I think that 'smart' or 'aggressive' still equals 'bitch' for many men on campus." True, many men are condescending toward women, and vice versa. But does this behavior affect opportunities? I believe women are strong enough and smart enough to disprove these stereotypes, and they have been doing so. Rodin, both "smart" and "aggressive," has been called many things, but "bitch" is not one of them. It seems as though women do have special problems -- but equality of opportunity, voice and treatment are not really among them, at least not at Penn. And while I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I do assert that tears are not the portion of women at this University.