Women like Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Alica Keys, and many more have stood up for women’s rights in the past and still are today. It’s time Norristown does the same. Sophomore Faith Reyes Fredrick knew feminism isn’t just something pushed by celebrities. That’s why she started The Woke WarriHers, Norristown’s first feminist after-school club.

“I started this club because I wanted our school to bring more attention to feminism,” said Fredrick. “I am not saying that our school favors males more, but it appears that females get less recognition for doing things like for clubs or sports.”

 Fredrick needed a club sponsor, so she went to Ms.Boyle, an 11th grade English Teacher because other teachers told her that Boyle is all about women’s rights and wants to contribute to promoting women empowerment.  

“We are all human and equal, but there has been a disparity between how people of certain genders are treated versus the other gender,” said Boyle. “A lot of people don’t think that is true, but when they see specific instances where that is true, it can change someone’s mind.” Boyle wants to show students, teachers, and administrators where those disparities are, not only in our school but throughout our society as well. 

Boyle and Fredrick are promoting their new club by putting up flyers at the stairwells, classrooms, and bathrooms. They even put an ad on the morning announcements about meeting on the first and last Thursday of every month. 

The Woke WarriHers is collaborating with the fashion club and planning a hygiene product drive, creating posters of important women in history, and planning to create and sell shirts. The club is still in its infancy stage but once the club gets more people, it will come up with more and better ideas. 

There is more to the Woke WarriHers than just putting up posters and selling shirts. They also talk about how men and women are different in gender roles and how the dress code is different for both genders. Fredrick explained how in most schools, guys can wear a tank top and get away with it, but with girls, if they wear a tank top, they get cited.

“In our school, it seems that the dress code favors males and the females appear to have stricter expectations,” said Fredrick. Girls also can’t wear tank tops, shorts, or skirts because they have to follow the fingertip rule.   

Besides the dress code, the Woke WarriHers are looking for more women to come out and join their club, especially if they are in need of a vice president. Boyle thinks that having a vice principle that is a woman, can show that a woman can have this position of authority. 

“This program is very important because they can start promoting more female empowerment, educate ourselves of past female historians, and change the stigma that feminists are people who hate men,” Boyle explained. She also thinks that we have a lot of great women that work here who work with all of the students on how to be an educated, responsible, productive professional.  

If you are interested in joining The Woke WarriHers, come to room 329 for meetings on the first and last Thursday of every month. Meetings are open to anyone who would like to join.