Despite destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, there are a few things we should thank her for. With one devastating blow, she forced us to acknowledge American poverty and created a context for the discussion of race relations in the United States.
And the disaster has also provided us with an unpleasant example of gender inequality in a country where feminism is supposedly one short breath away from death.
Though Kanye West didn't issue a press release, the Institute for Women's Policy Research released a report last week stating that women, specifically African-American women and especially single mothers, were disproportionately affected by the hurricane.
In New Orleans before the hurricane, more women were living below the poverty line and raising children alone. After the hurricane, the problem has only been exacerbated.
With an entire region now looking for work, women are at a disadvantage. Many jobs available for returning evacuees are reconstruction work. And, regardless of potential and merit, men are nearly always favored in jobs involving manual labor. Moreover, single mothers will have a difficult time finding any work at all without functioning, let alone safe, child-care facilities.
Domestic violence programs have reported that incidents of domestic violence increase during times of natural disaster, leaving victims with no functioning women's shelters and little response from preoccupied police forces.
Women and families already living in domestic violence shelters face their own difficulties. Those in New Orleans were forced to either relocate to other already crowded shelters, or stay with friends and family, where abusers can easily find them.
It seems that, far from being the great leveler, natural disasters only cast society's faults in high relief.
Some, of course, are inclined to argue that the aftermath of natural disasters like Katrina are no time to play favorites. Everyone needs help, so why should the needs of certain groups be specifically catered to?
In situations like natural disasters, when women are obviously getting the short end of the stick, some people claim everyone should be treated equally. But when it comes to equal pay and career advancement, those same people view "equality" as petty and radical.
And with the media decrying feminism dead, who will stand up for female survivors of Katrina, who have shown us that, whether or not feminism is dead, gender inequality certainly is not?
With the original feminists dying out and few impassioned young men and women to replace them, who will push for policies that guarantee fair pay for these women, adequate child care and sufficient protection from abusers?
Contrary to popular belief, "feminists" spend a lot more time doing that stuff than they do hating men and being jealous of pretty girls. They do it willingly, not only for themselves, but for the women who do the name-calling, the labeling, the judging, the mocking and the scoffing - for women who don't realize that if it weren't for feminists, they wouldn't be have the right to attend college, use birth control or even get help when raped.
Nevertheless, feminism is far from dying. It's just comatose. Most women in this country, and at this university, probably believe men and women deserve the same rights and freedoms. At one time or another, they've acted on this belief, whether fighting for a raise at work or standing up to sexual abuse - not even realizing that they're acting like feminists.
And even though we have the right to vote, there is still a whole lot to fix. Hurricane Katrina is an example of that. So even if you're not ready to bear the cross of feminism, don't knock those who are.
Catherine Traywick is a journalism and English literature junior. Reach her at catherine.traywick@asu.edu.
