Category: Gender Equality

Second Look

Nikita Srivastava (’19)

Here’s what caught our eye on the web recently:

At a time when many are asking why race remains such a potent force in our society, it’s important to explore the impact of persistent residential segregation. Mark Treskon of the Urban Institute reports that inclusive communities are more economically prosperous. Published in 2017, this article focuses on segregation in Chicago from 1990-2010 and trends seen in Chicago appear in other major cities as well. City actors could break down barriers to local inclusion, the entire region could benefit from the higher incomes and education levels. The Urban Institute investigates how policy can break down these barriers. Click here to learn more.

Feminism Gender Equality Higher Education Intersectionality lawyers legal profession student leaders Women in the Law

UC Law Women: Back In Action.

Post author By Nikita_Srivastava
Post date 5 Sep 2017
No Comments on UC Law Women: Back In Action.

Nikita Srivastava (’19)

The University of Cincinnati was one of the first law schools to develop a joint degree in Women’s Studies and Law. In addition, the number of women applicants and law students has steadily increased over the years; women now comprise about half of every entering class. Despite these rising numbers, women in the law continue to face issues that merit special attention – issues such as pay equity, networking, promotions, etc. Fortunately, the College of Law has several centers and student groups that address issues faced by women in the law. These include the Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice, Out and Allies, and If/When/How. However, over the past several years, a student group devoted solely to women in the law was non-existent.

UC Law Women, a student group formed in the 1980s, was founded to raise awareness of the unique issues faced by women in the legal community but, for a variety of reasons, faded away in the mid-2000s. Then, in the fall of 2016, Maria Catrina Castro, a current 2L, saw Law Women listed on UC’s organization page; she asked how to join and discovered the organization did not exist anymore. Disappointed, Maria made a mental note to reboot the organization. She knew it would not be possible in her first semester to create a student organization, so Maria waited until Spring 2017 to start the process. She approached students who took active roles in social and gender issues – and sought out a variety of perspectives to ensure that the club would be an inclusive group.

Tags Cincinnati Law, UC Law Women

Critical Race Theory Feminism Gender Equality Intersectionality Personal Narrative Race Discrimination

I speak Hindi, I am Hindu, and I’m an American: Fighting “Little Things”

Post author By Verna L. Williams
Post date 23 Jun 2017
1 Comment on I speak Hindi, I am Hindu, and I’m an American: Fighting “Little Things”

Guest Contributor: Nikita Srivastava, (’19)

As a minority woman in the United States, I am often defined by the color of skin. Although I take pride in my heritage, it is not the only thing that defines who I am. I find myself explaining who I am (or what defines me) more often than my white peers. Not only is this common in social settings, but professional settings as well. What makes matters worse is that my concerns about cultural ignorance are dismissed as “little things.”

Tags Cosmopolitan Canopy, White Racial Frame

Gender Equality Gender-based discrimination

Title IX, Transgender Students, and Bathroom Battles

Post author By Verna L. Williams
Post date 27 Aug 2016
No Comments on Title IX, Transgender Students, and Bathroom Battles

When Gavin Grimm starts his senior year on August 30, he’ll have to use the girls’ bathroom. Or a repurposed broom closet.

Gavin is a transgender boy. Last year, when he and his mom told school officials about his transition, the school agreed to treat him like the boy Gavin always knew he was. But the School Board objected, ultimately passing a regulation forbidding him from using the boys’ bathroom. Gavin sued and successfully got an injunction from the Fourth Circuit that prevent the Board from enforcing its new policy. But the U.S. Supreme Court, in turn, granted the Board’s request to keep the status quo in place until the Court decides whether to hear the Board’s appeal. So, while the Board works on its petition for review, Gavin’s got to use the girls’ room. Or that bathroom formerly known as a broom closet.

Gavin’s case is just one of several lawsuits in which transgender students’ rights are at stake. A district court recently put on hold the Obama Administration’s anti-discrimination policies for these students, which means Gavin’s predicament won’t be unique.