110 Wauwatosa West students attended the new feminist club ran by multiple girls from the school after school January.

The club is under faculty adviser Amanda Frazier.  

“We just started but we had one kind of meeting to gather interest and we packed this room. I was so excited. 110 kids came to the first meeting which was interesting. So that was just such a cool kind of turnout and it was so there weren’t many freshmen but it was pretty scattered between sophomores, juniors and seniors which is cool,” Frazier said.

To start a new club, students must get administration approval and find a faculty adviser to help run the club. 

“So actually they approached me and said that they’ve been thinking about doing this club or wanting to create this book for a while, and that they just didn’t really know how or who they wanted to be involved. And I have Ella in class currently. So she approached me and said that they had both talked and wanted me to be the adviser for it.” 

Frazier was flattered.

Frazier went on to say, “I was very honored to, to be considered. And so really, it was kind of their brainchild. I obviously have a million of my own ideas that I kind of throw in the hat, but I’m trying to kind of put it on them for it to be what they want the club to be.” 

Inspiration from the student’s perspective can help start to make a change but also get pieces of guidance from another person or group of people who support the idea of feminism and making a change. 

“I think it’s important to realize the effect that people’s actions and words can have on people. And starting this idea so young people know what is feminism and how we can take away the negative stigma around it is super important for high school students,” Sophomore Ella Archambo said. 

Clubs are open to anyone no matter what grade. They are made to get people involved and feel welcome in the school and community, with this one in particular involving girls of all 4 grade levels. 

“Feminism is literally the economic, social, kind of all equality of women. And so it’s not even necessarily about women, the focus is obviously unlimited because historically, women did not have as many rights and opportunities as men,” Frazier said.  

With this club being female centered, the girls involved hope to empower each other and work together to make changes that allow more freedom for the female gender.  

“If it would have been the other way around, it would be a meninism club. You know, which is a thing, but, you know, we’re focusing on the fact that throughout history, women have struggled to have equal rights, as a lot of things have changed in society to make that much closer to being even,” Frazier said. 

Frazier said many women in the world, no matter where, are fighting for more freedom and becoming equal to men in pay, education, and more. 

“It’s not going to go away overnight. And even if certain things are put into change, you know, politically or through laws or whatever, you know why they’re still all these little things that add up,” Frazier said. 

While the US has the professional athletes and other professional women in their careers fighting for these rights, not all countries have the ability to develop the movements or bringing awareness to this issue as quickly or faster than the US compared to other places in the world.  

“Obviously we have it much better in our country than other places in the world. So it’s also not just about you and your personal struggle with feminism, but kind of looking at a world view of how is this shown,” Frazier said.