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women in debate

"Equality will be achieved when we remove the glass ceiling for womyn; 
when we realize, not the differences between men and womyn, but 
differences in their ability to succeed.  When we are all 
judged, not by what's between our legs, but by the arguments on the flow. 
And just because your perception is that womyn ARE equal doesn't 
give you the right to delegitimize the very real concerns of many womyn 
in debate."

As a woman, I certainly wouldn't deligitimize other women's concerns. 
However, I have to believe after competing for several years that debate is 
a real opportunity for women to remove the glass ceiling for herself.  While 
I think that it is true that some women debaters are seen as "bitchy" I also 
think it's true that some men debaters who exibit the same qualities are 
seen as "assholes".  I think that true agressive behavior conotes strength 
and confidence when used as a tactic by men or women. 

While the lack of women recognized at GSL does send a message, I'm not sure 
that that message is that women feel oppressed in the CEDA community.  If 
women are dropping out of the activity because they feel that sexism is 
rampant, then that is the crux of the problem.  The debate community is 
unique in that most of the individuals who participate are in touch with all 
the social inequalities facing women. (By "in touch" I mean we've all 
read/researched every feminist position out there).  Because the knowledge 
base is already out there, unlike outside the community, women have the 
tools to succeed here, without many of the obstacle of the outside world. 
This is not to say that a woman doesn't ever encounter a sexist remark or 
gesture in the debate community, but rather that wholistically, the 
community accepts both women and men. 


Just some thoughts,

Shaana Rahman, Santa Clara University
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Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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