The Gender Equality Interest Group was born quite recently, but we have already seen some of their proposals to take action. Their Facebook group is very active, and they strive for the world where equality of treatment is applied no matter your gender, skin colour or religion. We spoke to María Ballesteros Melero, one of the moderators of the Interest Group, to gather more information. 

The AEGEEan: Please introduce yourself.

María Ballesteros Melero: I am María Ballesteros Melero, one of the moderators of the Gender Equality Interest Group (together with Anna Ziętkiewicz, Léa Charlet and Ioanna Gympaki).

What drove you to create this IG?

There was already a Facebook Group, Gender Equality in AEGEE, in which a lot of interesting discussions were happening. So some of us came together and decided that we could make it an official interest group of AEGEE-Europe (as it already fulfilled the requirements) and take the discussion further with actions, education and advocacy.

What would you answer to someone objecting “We have far more urgent problems to tackle”?

There is nothing more urgent than assuring human rights, from which equal rights for everyone is included, and therefore gender equality.

You were very active in promoting the Women’s March against president Trump. Why and how do you believe his presidency affects EU and AEGEE policies and missions?

First of all, US policies create trends and influence worldwide and European policies as it is the first world power (at least until now).

Second, we are also witnessing in Europe that the same shift in an increasing discrimination towards traditionally oppressed groups, the rise of the extreme right and populist movements, whose ideology attacks the before-mentioned groups.

Third, the marches started in the US but quickly expanded to the whole world, claiming not only against Trump but FOR equal rights worldwide. This is a problem affecting every single person in the world, in Europe and in AEGEE, so we strongly believed we, as a student association striving for a democratic and integrated Europe, must take that stand for everyone’s rights.

What is intersectionality in gender equality and why is it important?

As stated in the Strategic Plan: Intersectionality examines different aspects of human identities – such as gender, race and sexual orientation – in interaction with each other, rather than treating these aspects in isolation. Having an intersectional perspective means acknowledging that people cannot be reduced to single categories.
We all have more than one identity and can suffer from different kinds of discrimination and/or enjoy different kinds of privilege. So not to acknowledge these overlapping identities reduces people to simple categories, which does not correspond to reality and thus cannot tackle the real problems of oppression that are very present in our societies.

The members of GEIG are all very active, how do you plan to take this effort and enthusiasm to the outer world? 

We have already made some statements and calls for action against several happenings across the world which violate the principles of gender equality. Besides, one of the proposed objectives for the new Action Agenda includes AEGEE locals organising and participating in events in cooperation with relevant partners and stakeholders on the topic of equal rights aiming at establishing AEGEE as a relevant actor on the topic as well as the partnership with other relevant organisations.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

In collaboration with the Gender Equality Interest Group, The AEGEEan decided to create a form where members could share with us their stories about the (lack) of gender equality they experienced in their lives. We gave the opportunity to people to share their stories in an anonymous form, and you will find the reason in the last contribution. The form can be found here and it is still open for everyone to share their stories.

Celia Riveres, AEGEE-Zaragoza

I want to share a somehow common situation in Europe that you might have encountered as well. I have seen many pubs where guys have to pay whereas girls have their entrance fee waived, making me as a girl like a product, given that if you do not pay for a product, the product is you.

Celia Riveres, AEGEE-Zaragoza

My story is that I was treated for what I am. A human being.

Anonymous

Walking with a friend to class, on a Tuesday morning, a man shouted at us: “Hey, why don’t you come here to play! Sit on my lap and warm my di*k”.

Anonymous

María Ballesteros Melero, AEGEE-Madrid

“Are you sure you are a woman? You are too good at your job to be one” – My boss.

María Ballesteros Melero, AEGEE-Madrid

This is not my story, but something that happened to a colleague of mine. Before landing the position where we worked together, she had to do many interviews. At some point, one of the interviewers asked her “well, well, well… 30-something, just married… How do I know that in a couple of months you will not show up here with a pregnant belly?”. Apparently, this had been happening in most interviews. She was so angry and fed up that she answered “I am sterile”. That shut him right up! I laughed when she told me the story, but afterwards I was really discouraged that, even if it is illegal, interviewers keep on making these questions, but only to women.

Anonymous

I said “No” but he was stronger than my voice. I lied there waiting for it to go by fast, for the night to be over. But it has not. It has been over two years and that night is not over yet. It was in an AEGEE event.

Anonymous

Léa, AEGEE-Paris

During Spring Agora Patra, we were three candidates for president, two women, one men. I cannot count how many time the word “cat fight” was mentioned, always referring to the two women. I also remember clearly someone telling me that  “a tall men in a suit will always represent better AEGEE than a small woman”.

Léa, AEGEE-Paris

I was in a bar once with some friends, when a guy approached me. I was barely 18, I had not clubbed much, and I thought you couldn’t just be mean to every single guy you encountered – some might be nice people, you’ll never know if you don’t give them a chance to speak. So, I started talking to him. He was pretty drunk, we spoke briefly about what he studied, I made a joke and he laughed. Then he said “You’re funny. Here, hold my drink. I’m gonna show you my dick”. Obviously I left the club running and when I met my friends again outside, one of them said “What happened? I suddenly turned around and there was a guy in his underwear!”.

Anonymous

The worst stories experienced by our members are not going to appear in this article because of the victim blaming and the hate people denouncing sexism suffer, as well as because of the fact it is still considered a private thing, so we keep them in private, do not denounce and try to forget them.

María Ballesteros Melero, AEGEE-Madrid