Gender Equity Initiatives
FIGHT WITH CONVICTION, COURAGE, PASSION, AND STRATEGY.
Initiatives are the foundation of our organization, and our platform for change. We lead initiatives with pure passion and hard work, knowing that we have the power to impact so many with our initiatives—knowing that we can fundamentally rectify gender inequity with our work.
Types of Initiatives
We do three types of initiatives: Sexual harassment, in which we work to reform responses to sexual harassment in academic institutions, school dress code reform, in which we fight against discriminatory policy language and enforcement, and Project 1996, our grassroots lobbying initiative to fight for Title IX guidelines that address school dress codes.
Our Fight For Gender Equity
These issues are at the core of our work at the Ruth Project.
Initiatives are the Ruth Project’s mechanisms of change! We train and mentor our initiative leaders, members who start specific movements for change. Currently, we are offering dress code reform and sexual harassment initiatives, wherein we apply processes for change that have been successful in past initiatives.
With each initiative, we launch a petition, a team of people to contribute to the initiative, a specialized plan listing grievances and demands, and training sessions for our initiative leaders. We walk our initiative sponsors through making change step-by-step, helping them to grow as people and as advocates for gender equity.
Building Change: The Power of Initiatives
When we take change into our own hands, we empower ourselves. We want to empower you as well, so we’ve provided the following advice for activists looking to build change.
Be inclusive and intersectional. You have limited perspectives as a single individual, so listen to others. Issues can impact different people in a multitude of ways, so recognize that when you raise your voice. Be conscious of what space you are taking up, and make space for others. Here at the Ruth Project, we never want to speak over others, so stepping back and letting others speak is so important.
Stand up with conviction. Do your research, know what you are talking about, and have confidence in that. Have conviction in whatever you are advocating for, and know the facts.
There’s power in numbers. Change is rarely accomplished by a single person—it’s accomplished by many passionate and driven individuals. Our initiatives may have leaders, but they work with many other people to make a difference. The more people who show the support, the more likely it is that authorities will listen to you.
The Takeaway: Know your power and use it—not only for your fight, but to inspire others to fight as well, central to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s philosophy.
“You don’t have to be fearless in your pursuit of change—instead, do it afraid. Your courage in fighting to make a difference is your power.” – Ruth Project Founder, Julia Squitteri
Building Change: The Power of Initiatives
When we take change into our own hands, we empower ourselves. We want to empower you as well, so we’ve provided the following advice for activists looking to build change.
Be inclusive and intersectional. You have limited perspectives as a single individual, so listen to others. Issues can impact different people in a multitude of ways, so recognize that when you raise your voice. Be conscious of what space you are taking up, and make space for others. Here at the Ruth Project, we never want to speak over others, so stepping back and letting others speak is so important.
Stand up with conviction. Do your research, know what you are talking about, and have confidence in that. Have conviction in whatever you are advocating for, and know the facts.
There’s power in numbers. Change is rarely accomplished by a single person—it’s accomplished by many passionate and driven individuals. Our initiatives may have leaders, but they work with many other people to make a difference. The more people who show the support, the more likely it is that authorities will listen to you.
The Takeaway: Know your power and use it—not only for your fight, but to inspire others to fight as well, central to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s philosophy.
“You don’t have to be fearless in your pursuit of change—instead, do it afraid. Your courage in fighting to make a difference is your power.” – Ruth Project Founder, Julia Squitteri
