Meet Cecily Montgomery! She majors in political science and international development, and just came back from Feminist Camp in Seattle.
Describe yourself and why you wanted to attend Feminist Camp:
I have considered myself a feminist for as long as I can remember but as I’ve moved through different spaces in my life, and have had opportunities to hear new perspectives my understanding of what makes a feminist has deepened. I recently returned from my semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a city with a robust feminist movement. During my time there I attended two different women’s marches, both of which were massive and allowed me to see how feminist movements can be different around the world, depending on the needs of women in that place. I was eager to continue this learning and feminist camp was the perfect opportunity to do so.
What were your favorite parts of the conference?
The speaker that was most interesting to me was a lobbyist who advocated for union rights at Washington State’s capitol building in Olympia. As someone who is very interested in the political world it was both sad to hear about the challenges specific to women in that field but also inspiring to learn how she navigates them with such poise and expertise.
The friendships that I made on this program were another aspect of it that made this program amazing. Although we were only together for one week, by the end of it I felt extremely comfortable with each and every one of them. Campers of all ages and diverse backgrounds attended, and each one of them brought important perspectives and experiences. The program coordinators were truly amazing and very knowledgeable. It was clear that a lot of time and effort had gone into planning this week.
Highlight information you learned on reproductive health and reproductive justice:
During Feminist Camp we met two different women from different pro-choice organizations. The first one was NARAL pro-choice Washington that works to both get pro-choice candidates elected as well as pass pro-choice legislation. Speaking to her was very interesting to me as a political science major because it showed me major challenges associated with passing legislation geared towards reproductive health. It also allowed me to ask questions about the best way to pursue a career in policy advocacy.
The other session we had geared towards reproductive justice was with a member of the board of directors of the CAIR project. This organization is a fund that helps women get abortions who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it or have a way to access it. Seeing how one non-profit that is geared towards affecting policy works with another one that works directly with women showed me all the different effort needed to help women get the care they need.
Detail what you learned that you hope to never forget:
Having the opportunity to speak with successful women from array of different fields showed me how to make myself stand out in professional settings. One thing that I frequently struggle with is standing up for myself or making sure that I am listened to. Having conversations about things such as salary negation or making your voice heard in male dominated spaces showed how I can be a better self advocate.
Why should other students attend a Feminist Camp:
There are so many important things to learn from Feminist Camp, it’s hard to think of a reason not to attend! One of the best things I gained from it was an incredible new community. Some of the people I attended camp with also live in New Orleans, giving me a new community of like-minded individuals to have here now that I have returned. In a world dominated by the patriarchy, women are often not taught or encouraged to speak up or display too much confidence. Even in the course of just one week, I watched both myself and the other campers grow in our self confidence and willingness to have a voice.
How did this experience help with your future ambitions?
As I said above, one of the most important parts of the conference was learning how to be a good self advocate which can apply to many areas of life but definitely applies to career goals. With just one year left of college I now know how to better make myself stand out to potential employers and speak up when I need something. It also showed my how it is possible to include feminism in my career be in my advocating for policy that helps women or just being supportive towards the women that I work with and making sure their voices are heard.
Does this sound like something you might be interested in? Tulane undergraduate students can apply to NCI for funding to attend Feminist Camp. Email Betsy Lopez at elopez@tulane.edu for more information.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.