Kaitlyn Kennedy, Staff Writer

In a Church lead by celibate men and a political culture that speaks of “women” as one homogenous group, some women can feel voiceless and disenfranchised.

“Girl Talk,” a series of one-hour sessions spanning three Sundays, was an attempt to address this issue.  Led by Samantha Stempky and the Joys of Life Team of the Notre Dame Right to Life Club, the forum dealt with issues such as beauty, contraception and the role of women within the Catholic Church.  The goal of the forum was to engage women across campus from various belief backgrounds in meaningful discussions on issues particular to women.  The idea for “Girl Talk” was born of Stempky’s frustration of the media coverage of “women’s issues” relating to the past election this November, and her desire to explore women’s real experiences and feelings behind these issues.

Inspired by Helen Alvaré’s “Women Speak for Themselves” campaign, Stempky hoped to give women at Notre Dame a chance to see how complicated and meaningful these issues really are. For example:

“Asking someone to not get an abortion or not use contraception is not as simple as it sounds… That’s a life decision,” Stempky explain.  “I think by better recognizing why women are either pressured or want to seek those options, the university and the pro-life movement can better find solutions to truly help women, which is what they are trying to do.”

At each of the three meetings, girls were given articles and pointers, stressing the importance of respecting all opinions, on how to have constructive discussions. The authors of these articles argued from a variety of perspectives and included Pope John Paul’s “Letter to Women” and a Catholic woman advocating for birth control.

Rachel Drumm, who assisted with planning the events, said of the topics they picked to discuss, “We took into serious consideration the question ‘What do we want for ourselves as women?’  We looked at the most pressing issues facing women today, and attempted to get to the root causes, desires, and factors affecting these issues.”

The  attendees broke into small groups to analyze current hot-button issues, such as women in the church and pornography. Those in attendance spoke from their strong convictions, personal experience and feminine perspectives in a safe and discussion-friendly environment.

Erin Stoyell-Mulholland, who attended all three forums, was very impressed with the turnout. She noted, “It wasn’t just the kids I normally talk to.  It was people from very different backgrounds all coming together to discuss these issues that are really important to women and aren’t necessarily talked about every day.”

Jen Gallic, who recently completed her term as president of Right to Life and also attended the event, chimed in, “One of the best things about it is it provides the space.  Because you aren’t going to ask someone over lunch, ‘so how do you feel about modesty in fashion?’”

Drumm, who was also very excited about the diversity in opinions she encountered during the event, said, “It is incredible to see how someone with seemingly opposite ideas can actually have so much in common with you, and how fruitful reaching out and engaging others in conversation can be.”

Stempky hoped that their efforts would not only include women all over campus, but also create a university-wide discussion.  She said, “I feel it has been very successful not just in the event itself but in the discussion it has sparked across campus.”

The women who put the event together made it very clear that men should not be kept out of these discussions, but emphasized that women must have a space in which to discuss these topics in solidarity with one another.

Stempky also said about the series,  “I’m hoping that it will call attention to the need for more discussions like this and forums for people to wrestle with these issues, rather than to just argue it out.  These are very personal issues for women and I think it is going to take time, understanding and developing real relationships to have progress.”

Stempky hopes to take this idea with her in her post-graduate adventures, and plans are being made to continue this series next year.

Kaitlyn Kennedy is a freshman pre-professional and theology major. She lives in Ryan Hall and has once participated in a violent Easter egg hunt with Bob Burkett, editor-in-chief emeritus.  True story.  Contact her at kkenne11@nd.edu.