“Man Up” has been a saying for a long time in society. The phrase “Man Up” is used to tell men to become tougher and more confident in what they do. However, the phrase “You hit like a girl” for example, is used to tell someone how weak they are and is used as an insult. Misogyny is shown in both of these quotes and is still very common in today’s society in spite of these quotes having been used since the early 20th century. That’s why Hamilton Southeastern High School has made clubs for feminism, one of them being “Woman Up”.

“Woman Up” is not only a club, but it’s a space for young female students at HSE High School to come together and talk about the modern-day issues women face. Such as: sexual assault and how they can encourage feminism throughout Hamilton County. The title “Woman Up” was created for the club to show that women can be just as strong and brave.

“‘Woman Up’ is important to the students at HSE because it is one of the only safe places for women to discuss topics regarding feminism, gender equality, past experiences, and how we can form a change at HSE and for younger women in lower grades throughout our district” said Misha Bukkasagaram, Co-President of “Woman Up” and a Senior at HSE High School.

Several events had been planned by “Woman Up”. At HSE, there was “Sexual Assault Awareness Day” in which women could come together and speak about their personal experiences with it without having to worry about being judged or shamed for what happened to them or what they saw. Another event that was planned was “The Fall Fashion Show” which was when the female students came to school and wore something that they felt empowered wearing. The two events are just a couple of examples on how “Woman Up” creates community as well as companionship at HSE.

“At a young age, I’d always feel like I was given less opportunities than the boys around me. With that, came a lack of the confidence that suspended much of my ability,” said Bukkasagaram “I did not find that growth until years later in high school when I started investigating how women are truly mistreated by society.” stated Bukkasagaram.

“Woman Up’s” addressing of misogyny, sexual assault, the wage-gap, over sexualization of women’s clothing, etc. helps address these problems so hopefully one day, they maybe taken more seriously. “Woman Up” has more fifty-members apart of it and still continues to grow. If anyone has questions, feel free to email the sponsor, Kristin Lidstrom at [email protected] and the next meeting will be on November 19, 2021 to write letters to Sexual Assault/Human Trafficking victims.