Ramdas Discusses Feminism

Before an audience of about 20 students gathered in Sever Hall, Kavita N. Ramdas, former president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, argued that injustices towards women continue to affect women, even in the developed world.

“There’s the implicit assumption that challenges to women rights are to be found in ‘other parts’ of the world,” Ramdas said at the event on Saturday, which was organized by the Women Leadership Project in conjunction with the Harvard Law School and the Institute of Politics.

But those issues are felt in the U.S. as well. As a member of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Princeton University, Ramdas said she was surprised to discover a significant drop in the number of leadership positions held by women at elite universities and a shortage of women candidates for scholarships such as the Rhodes.

During the event, Ramdas discussed the successes and failures of the feminist movement throughout the world, including China, India, and Kosovo, as well as on college campuses across the U.S.

She said issues like female genital mutilation, arranged marriages, and female illiteracy continue to harm women throughout the developing world. But, Ramdas said, while the developed world may want to combat these issues, organizations must avoid “patronizing” local cultures in an attempt to fix a world they may not fully understand.

“Nobody wants to be saved,” she said. “So we need to start at a position of humility and acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers ourselves.”

Ramdas concluded the talk by arguing that the fight for gender justice is sometimes used to mask other agendas.

“Even Exxon Mobil is for women rights,” she said. “We must remember to be suspicious whenever we hear ‘This is for women rights.’”

The small group of attendees responded well to Ramdas’ speech and message.

“She’s an incredible speaker and woman,” said Paul A. Leroux ’14. “Everything she said about our role in world issues can be applied to not just the feminist movement but the global society in general.”

In response to Ramdas’ concern about gender issues on college campuses, Samantha R. Rosekrans ’11, a board member of the Women Leadership Project, said she thought the male-dominated final clubs on campus were indicative of a problem at Harvard.

“We subscribe to an archaic tradition of gender dichotomy that’s still very pervasive in campus life,” she said.

—Staff writer Michelle B. Nguyen can be reached at ngoc.nguyen@college.harvard.edu.