Creighton University’s Lieben Center for Women hosted Feminism 101 in Skutt student center, January 26th in an attempt to raise awareness for the Lieben Center and dispel misconceptions about feminism.

The Lieben Center for Women was established in 1998 – named after Eileen B. Lieben – as a way to recognize women’s accomplishments within Creighton and the surrounding community.

The mission of the Lieben Center for Women is to educate by looking at the world with a critical lens, listen to and support students, and advocate for understanding and action.

Molly Krebs, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, says the goal of Feminism 101 was to get back to the basic definition of feminism and discourage misconceptions.

“We put on Feminism 101 because we wanted to dismantle the common misconceptions of feminism, for example… feminists are not just lesbians who are man-haters or don’t believe in marriage,” says Krebs.

 “Simply, feminism is the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes,” says Krebs. “The Lieben Center strives to address issues faced by Creighton’s women and achieve a gender-equitable environment for all of our students.”

Women are missing opportunities that their male counterparts are not; most common of these disadvantages is the wage gap. On average men earn $49,000 compared to women’s $37,800, per year.

While the wage gap may be the most common issue which is recognized nationally, Aditi Dinakar – a Heider College of Business sophomore – says the biggest problem for women on campus is “The misrepresentation in leadership, exec, female reps and female in the faculty.”

Creighton University undergraduate women make up more than 56 percent of the undergraduate population. Equal representation in staff would call for a larger need of female faculty in response to the large female student population.

“We should encourage our fellow female students to pursue their passions and run for student government/student organization leadership,” says Krebs who ran for Creighton Student Union body President in the campaign for the 2014-2015 term. Another issue the Lieben Center for Women is raising awareness for is sexual assault; 1 in 5 women will experience assault while in college, along with 1 in 71 men. 

 “However, women are more likely to be victimized and ridiculed. Instead, we need to support our survivors and encourage reporting and counseling,” says Krebs.

Students who have experienced violence – or who are helping a friend or family member who experienced violence –  are encouraged to contact the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, or reach out to the organization Tell Someone (allows Creighton students to talk to report violence or set up counselor appointments for others) which can be contacted anonymously through https://www.creighton.edu/safety/tell-someone.