Students in GWS 320: Feminism Into Action speak at the Rhode Island State House to advocate for reproductive rights. Photo contributed by: Jody Lisberger
Exposure to the global impact of feminist advocacy work influenced students in GWS 320: Feminism Into Action to make their voices heard by the state government.
Jody Lisberger, associate professor at the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS), helped students turn their studies into action as they navigate social issues and political thought.
The course is tailored for students to navigate social issues of their interest, where they can then apply global feminist strategies as a campaign for change. Lisberger said that political partisanship, racial inequality and gender rights are among the many topics which students gear their studies towards.
One group of students, inspired by the history and development of reproductive rights, took their advocacy to the Rhode Island State House.
Lisberger said that her students felt compelled to make a difference for individuals who do not receive easy access to reproductive healthcare.
“State employees and people in Rhode Island who use Medicaid do not have abortion coverage,” Lisberger said. “So the paradox is that people have a right to abortions in Rhode Island, but not everybody has health coverage to access it.”
Emma Rousseau, Savannah Melo and Natalie Chasten stood in front of RI officials to testify against multiple bills that would make safe abortions less accessible for Rhode Islanders.
The group petitioned and received 350 signatures from URI students, faculty and staff in support of their cause prior to testifying.
Rousseau, a sophomore GWS major, was originally informed of the proposed anti-abortion legislation by The Womxn Project.
She said that through GWS 320, she discovered theories that encouraged her willingness to advocate for her beliefs.
“This class has taught me that I have a connection to activism and that even with a hectic schedule, it is possible to make a difference,” Rousseau said.
According to Rousseau, RI State Representative Leonela Felix was impressed with the information brought by URI’s students to the State House.
Other representatives and attendees were critical of Rousseau’s testimony, yet herself and fellow students felt accomplished with their work.
“A lot of others who testified called pro-choice people ‘murderers’,” Rousseau said. “That word was thrown around a lot. But we still strive to do as much activism as we can.”
Rousseau said that her ability to remain professional in spite of controversy was greatly impacted by what she has learned about proper activism in the GWS department.
According to Melo, a sophomore majoring in psychology and sociology, the arguments in favor of anti-choice laws are what inspired her to take action.
“There was a huge lack of clarity, not only within [the bills’] wordings, but within why these bills were being brought up,” Melo said. “Sitting there listening to everybody’s testimonies and fallacies is that fire that fuels you to want to keep going with advocacy work.”
Melo explained that although she only spectated the testimonies, she felt involved and called it a “pivotal learning experience.”
Ava Wilson, a sophomore with majors in GWS and political science, is also a part of the advocacy inspired by Lisberger’s course.
According to Wilson, her experiences in the classroom will go much further than the Kingston campus.
“This class has opened a lot of opportunities for all of us and it’s not even just about reproductive access,” Wilson said. “I have an internship this summer in D.C. and having these lessons and assets are viable before going into an environment that is very political.”
The testimonies given by Rousseau and Chasten initiated classmates to educate the community on these issues. A number of GWS 320 students have organized an event on April 25 entitled “Fight for Reproductive Justice” in collaboration with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Womxn Project. This event, where students will spread awareness about abortion bans nationwide, will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm on the Quad.
While the course does not only cover issues of abortion access, teaching about the subject prompted a desire for change among many GWS 320 students, bringing their voices to the chambers of RI’s State House and beyond.