The Feminist Coalition of Riverdale
Students at Riverdale are exposed to a diverse community of people through Riverdale’s affinity groups, clubs, mini-courses, and activities. In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month and acknowledge the contributions and achievements of women at Riverdale. The unofficial Feminist Coalition of Riverdale is compiled of many clubs that provide opportunities for Falcon women to soar: Seneca Feminism, the Association for Feminist Action (AFFA), Women in Sports (WIS), Women in Business (WIB), and Girls Who Code (GWC).
Seneca, led by senior leaders Luiza Qureshi and Estelle Anderson, is, according to Anderson, “a space for people to talk openly about their experience of being women at Riverdale, along with how misogyny affects us in ways we’re both conscious of and unconscious of.” Through informal discussions, Seneca works to “give students a chance to discuss and dissect issues, big and small, that are related to feminism,” says Anderson. Qureshi and Anderson have also prioritized intersectional feminism: “We recognize that women's issues and racial issues and LGBTQIA+ issues don't exist in vacuums, but they all intersect,” Anderson explains. “You can't talk about sexism without talking about racism, for example, or without talking about homophobia.”
Anderson and Qureshi believe there is still much to do to advance gender equity amongst the student body. They mentioned a growing trend of male students reacting defensively or with denial when accused of inappropriate and discriminatory actions. But, according to Qureshi and Anderson, there is a simple solution: acknowledgement and education. To this point, Qureshi says, “Ask yourself, or ask whoever's in charge, what steps are being taken to ensure everyone feels seen, included, non-marginalized and heard.”
The Association for Feminist Action is a newly formed club this year with sophmore Milena Manocchia at its helm. AFFA is a rapidly growing organization with extensions to other New York City private schools in the works. Manocchia’s mission is to “redefine feminism as an entity of equity for everyone on the gender spectrum” and to “de-stigmatize feminism within the Riverdale community and beyond.” She believes that they’re “pushing the envelope” as a group, but “doing it in a way that is less scary so people can be a part of this safe space of not only nice people who care, but as activists who want to grow and help others do the same.”
Every month, the club focuses in depth on a new topic and decides how they want to make an impact. Manocchia is growing her curriculum into a larger organization, including a launch at Ethical Culture Fieldston School and even further across New York City.
One of Riverdale’s most impressive offerings is its athletics program, so it is not surprising that Riverdale also offers a Women in Sports (WIS) club. Women in Sports works to address the inequities female athletes face in our community. According to one of its leaders, senior Julia Starck, the group works to “combat the feeling of needing to prove ourselves within the Riverdale community as athletes.”
WIS has also been advocating for short-term goals of equal uniforms, equal gym time, and even the elimination of the Statement of Interest policy by supporting junior Shira Mandelzis. Starck explains that her goal for the club is to “provide a physical space for this conversation. We’re the mediator between the student body and the athletics department in that way.” The members of WIS recently asked Director of Athletics Mr. John Pizzi to speak to the club in light of the recent events surrounding the Statement of Interest policy. Riley Palmer, another senior leader, added: “I think that one of the most beneficial things that the club has done is to be able to have this direct communication with the athletic department.”
In terms of how to improve female athletes' experiences in our community, Starck believes it rests on “friends supporting girls teams, coming to their games, showing up, making them feel like they want to see us play and watch.” That said, Starck says, “The first step is holding your friends accountable when they start to insult girls teams.”
Women in Business is another part of Riverdale’s feminist coalition, led by seniors Brooke Weiner and Stella Michel. According to Weiner, the club’s goal is “to create a space for everyone at Riverdale to learn about women in business and discuss their experiences. We empower the girls in our club to learn about areas of the business field that they're passionate about and bring in speakers. Our girls in the club are forming connections with [the speakers] and thinking about what their lives in the workplace could be like in the future.” WIB is a great space to learn about the business environment and provides a community for those who want to pursue business in the future.
Girls Who Code is another feminist-motivated Riverdale club, led by seniors Christelle Katalay and Sofia Egol. Katalay says the club hopes to “teach Middle, Upper, and Lower Schoolers fundamentals in computer science and give them a positive experience. We want to allow them space to explore learning about computer science so they can pursue it later in life.”
Currently, GWC has many programs available, such as “Everybody Can Code” for Lower School students. Katalay has ideas for the future, too: “I think we can improve by having more in-depth conversations about misogyny you experience not only in STEM workplaces, but also in STEM classrooms. Women need to get more involved in scientific and mathematical explorations to break boundaries in those fields.” Egol encourages all female students at Riverdale to join the club, saying, “We're really fun and creative, which is probably very different than you might think we would be. I think creativity and fun are what defines Girls Who Code.”
Congratulations to all of the female-led clubs and their members on their incredible achievements and dedication to the appreciation and education of Riverdale women in our community and the world. In March, be sure to celebrate the Falcon women of all groups and organizations. Happy Women’s History Month!
