Since 1987, Women’s History Month has been a nationally recognized celebration of the contributions of women throughout history. At UHS, She’s the First, a chapter of the global feminist organization, brought UHS students together to celebrate Women’s History Month on Friday, March 7, handing out purple ribbons and encouraging discussions of empowerment and female inspirations during lunch in front of the UHS Multipurpose Room.
For She’s the First Activities Coordinator, Alexandra Vershynin, and many other UHS students, Women’s History Month has always been personal. Vershynin’s family has taught her the importance of advocacy, and their sacrifices for a better future continue to inspire her today. She’s the First Co-President, Vishaalakshi Nachiappan, believes that Women’s History Month should emphasize honoring the women of today as it does celebrating those from history.
“The people around us: our teachers, our mothers, our friends, our family, our aunts, everyone that’s part of us—it’s just a celebration of us,” Nachiappan said.
Nachiappan believes that awareness is the first step to enacting social change; for example, when tackling microaggressions, educating the public about what they are and why they are harmful is necessary to approach the problem effectively.
“We live in a privileged community, but I think these microaggressions still exist in our houses, in our local communities, where we try to voice our opinions and we’re kind of shut down,” Nachiappan said. “And we’re trying to rise past that.”
Modern gender disparities come in many forms. During the 2023-2024 school year, Vershynin’s teammates on the UHS basketball team noticed the disproportionate support the UHS Girls’ Basketball team received compared to the UHS Boys’ Basketball team.
“Our [Girls’ Basketball] co-captains . . . decided to go to the [Associated Student Body] advisors, and now it’s only as of this year that we have cheerleaders and that we have [a] band [at games],” Vershynin said. “That really inspired me.
She’s the First operates on both a local and global scale. At UHS, She’s the First is a subdivision of a larger organization that advocates for women’s rights internationally. On a local level, the She’s the First board at UHS typically organizes community service projects that all students can participate in during lunch meetings a couple of times per semester, and they are working on expanding to off-campus community service.
“We try to do a lot of community service,” Nachiappan said. “We try to do period [product] packaging . . . for different local women’s shelters and organizations that help out families.”
Some of these shelters and organizations include Friendship Shelter, Families Forward, Laura’s House and WISEPlace, all intended to support underprivileged women. Ultimately, She’s the First’s advocacy is one way that UHS students unite to uplift women in Women’s History Month and beyond.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved [with She’s the First] because of its mission to empower girls through education,” Vershynin said. “That really just resonated deeply with me and my core values.”
