Gender Equality

Fighting for Gender Equality

Although Trinity College only enrolled men in the 19th century, Mary, Persis, and Theresa Giles attended private classes and graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1878. More than 50 years later, Duke formalized its commitment to educating female students by establishing the Woman’s College in 1930. Since then, female-identifying students and their allies have protested discriminatory university policies and local, state, and federal legislation that marginalized women and nonbinary people. In the face of opposition from some university administrators and students, gender activists at Duke have created and upheld a legacy of resistance and resilience.

1927: Duke League of Women Voters

Founded shortly after passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Duke Chapter of the League of Women Voters ran voter education programs to help white women take advantage of their recently-won voting rights.

1938: Dating at Duke

Compiled from a series of open forums, the YWCA authored a report on the state of dating and relationships at Duke in the 1930s. Women students used these forums to exercise their voices and push back against ideas that "women who are not dating are not worth dating" and that intelligent, successful women are not “datable.”

1949: It's Not in the Handbook

Pictured to the left is the cover of a 1949 edition of It’s Not in the Handbook, a guidebook intended to inform incoming women students on how to dress, behave, and conduct themselves on campus. Among other suggestions, the guidebook advised that “it’s a good habit to wear heels” and insisted that “duchesses” (women students) must never be seen wearing informal attire on campus.

1954: Design for a Duchess

A continuation of It's Not in the Handbook, Design for a Duchess included a calendar of social events, advice on crafting a "successful" Duke experience, and a list of disapproved behaviors. Among such frowned-upon behaviors included being in "too big a hurry to smile or speak" and being a "perpetual griper," to name a few. Representative of traditional gender norms and expectations of the time, Design for a Duchess severely restricted the activities of Woman's College students. Gender activists in later decades fought these misogynistic policies and norms through protest.

1963: First Five Black Students

Recognized as the “First Five,” Mary Mitchell Harris, Gene Kendall, Cassandra Smith Rush, Nathaniel White, and Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke defied societal norms to become the first five Black students to receive their undergraduate education at Duke. Through their involvement in organizations like the YWCA, the Freshman Advisory Council, and the Congress of Racial Equality, Harris, Rush, and Reuben-Cooke, in particular, paved the way for women students of color at Duke.

1969: First Women's Liberation Group

In efforts to combat gender inequality, members of the Woman’s College founded a women's liberation group: “Female Liberation No.11,” the first group of its kind on campus. The club's goal was to highlight the unique issues that Duke women face, such as schedule restrictions and lack of access to women's health care.

1969: "You Women are all Alike"

This derogatory image was published in The Chronicle in 1969. Filled with images of women pregnant, half-naked, and in wedding attire, this piece exemplifies traditional expectations of women and highlights the persistent misogyny present at Duke. The advertisement sparked intense controversy and protest, particularly among Woman's College students.

1974: Women's Alliance

To combat the lack of gender activism at Duke, the Women’s Alliance initiated a complaint service, where Duke women could send in questions and inquiries regarding discrimination on campus. In addition to this service, they also sponsored workshops on issues disproportionately affecting women students and worked to combat the lack of on-the-job training for female employees, expand subsidization for daycare services, and investigate the implications of Title IX for women at Duke.

1977: Students Toward Equality and the Prevention of Sexism

Published in the 1977-78 edition of The University Experience, a student publication run by the YM-YWCA, this op-ed discusses the founding of student group Students Toward Equality and the Prevention of Sexism (STEPS). Working toward gender equality at Duke, STEPS hosted seminars for women on topics like health, employment, and assertiveness. They also held an Equal Rights Amendment rally on the quad and petitioned the Durham Morning Herald to cease printing the name and address of rape survivors in their newspapers.

1989: Duke University Students for Choice

Student group Duke University Students for Choice sought to cultivate campus and community support for safe and legal abortions. They advocated for protection of women’s bodily autonomy and right to choose, demanding more liberal state and national abortion policies. A number of Duke students also attended a pro-choice rally in Washington D.C. to demonstrate their support.

1980s-1990s: Take Back the Night

Sponsored by the Coalition for a Women’s Center at Duke, the 1987 Take Back the Night March saw over 300 students march from the Bryan Center Walkway to East Campus to raise awareness of sexual violence. Marchers demanded action toward a safer environment for women students. They stood in solidarity with survivors, chanting “Women, united, will never be defeated.”

Take Back the Night, and associated demonstrations, also sought to address issues beyond Duke. Protesters called for an end to the North Carolina Marital Rape Exemption and for increased funding for rape crisis and domestic violence centers. In later years, activists also encouraged recognition that sexual violence is not just a “women’s issue.” The work of the Coalition and student activists continues through student group Duke Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention and Education (SHAPE), which sponsored a Reclaim the Night March in 2023.

1990s: Voices Magazine

Voices served as a platform for LGBTQIA+ female-identifying students to discuss and address a wide range of issues. Published by the Duke Women's Center, the magazine included articles, essays, and personal accounts written by queer and transgender women.

2003: Saturday Night

Saturday Night, so named to represent the time when sexual violence most often occurs, was established in the hopes of creating a space for empowerment, growth, and healing for survivors. The powerful words were intended to “touch and inform all readers and, perhaps more importantly, serve as a catalyst for a movement toward a community that no longer tolerates sexual assault." Toward this goal, the final pages of the 2003 publication outline campus support resources and a call to action for readers.

2003: Women's Initiative

Sponsored by Duke's first and only female president, Nannerl Keohane, the Women's Initiative sought a better understanding of the experience of women students at Duke. Among other shocking findings, the committee revealed that many women students reported higher self-confidence at the beginning of college than at the end of college. The findings of the report culminated in the creation of the Alice M. Baldwin Scholars Program, which was intended to change this culture by empowering women leaders.

2018: Progress Period

Established in 2018, student group Progress Period was created to end “period poverty and stigma through advocacy, education, and service.”

This image showcases student activists on “Period Action Day” in Raleigh, North Carolina. At this annual event, advocates raise money, gather period products, and spread awareness of women’s menstrual health. Within one day, Progress Period exceeded its goal of obtaining over one million menstrual products. Aside from participation in “Period Action Day,” Progress Period also works to supply free menstrual products in all dorms and facilities on campus.

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Ava Meigs, Alex Thisted, Bolton Bazile, and Mikyas Assefa researched gender equality at Duke and created this portion of the online and in-person gallery exhibit.

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