I Am a Feminist Sorority Girl

Sororities were originally designed to give women their own place to socialize and gather, distinct from men. While many argue that what sororities have evolved into feel less empowering than that idealistic purpose, I would argue that is not the case at all. I encourage you to wipe the images of Legally Blonde and other movies out of your mind and look at the real picture.  

When I look at the composite photo on the wall of all my sorority sisters, I see brilliant scientists, talented musicians, service fanatics, creative writers, and so much more. I see future doctors, lawyers, national park rangers, and engineers. I see my closest friends in the world who support me through it all, whether it’s another late night of studying or sitting in the front row at the TEDx conferences I plan. I see a community of empowered women who are lifted up by one another toward achieving their goals. I have memories of attending events hosted by so many of my sisters and sitting in the audience beaming with pride to be linked to the talented, leading women I see in the spotlight.  

In a society where the rights of many women are threatened, in our heated political climate, having spaces specifically where women lift each other up is more important now than ever.  

Every year we host a week called “Tri Love week”, a week dedicated to promoting self love and positive body image as part of the Tri Delta Body Image 3D Campaign. But beyond organized events, on an everyday basis I feel I have become a more authentic version of myself since joining a sorority.  I feel proud rocking my boldest lip, and embrace my quirks and that is something that makes me feel empowered. This sort of empowerment is the essence of being in a sorority, and one that transcends the daily lives of myself and my sisters.

Fundamentally, sororities are feminist spaces. As a Tri Delta, our mission statement involves being “Brave, Bold, and Kind.” Feminists are brave in standing up for their rights, bold in their steadfast pursuit of their values, and kind in their treatment of others. I am sure I could repeat this with mottos of other sororities, but the conclusion would be the same: the mission of sororities is to empower women. Because of this, I am proud to be a sorority woman and a feminist. They are in no way mutually exclusive and should not be treated as such.