Celina Zhou

FEMCO members discuss current events following the election Nov. 4. The election marked a number of historic firsts for women in politics, and officers prioritized bringing awareness to their members. “[FEMCO’s mission is] to educate the community about feminism and equality and talk about why it’s important in society,” co-president Queena Xu (12) said. “We are the future generation, so we can change society to give equality to everyone.”

The Feminist Coalition of Ladue Clubs, which meets every other Monday, met Nov. 10 following the Nov. 4 election. Officers and members first discussed an upcoming collaborative trivia night Nov. 24 with Quiz Bowl, a fundraising effort for the Community Health Initiative Collaborative (CHIC), which provides menstrual and women’s health products to underserved communities in Ethiopia.

“We typically have discussions about current events and feminism,” co-president Queena Xu (12) said. “We also bring up other topics and discuss what we think. That’s our general meetings, and sometimes we have fundraisers and brainstorm for that.” 

Another item on the agenda was a discussion on the role of women in politics, touching on current events including the election of Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat and the first woman to hold her position, as well as the retirement of Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the United States House of Representatives.  

“It went well,” Xu said. “It was a good flowing discussion. People had a lot of stuff to say. It was pretty engaging, and everyone could hold a discussion on their own. They didn’t really need our input.”

Discussions feature prominently and regularly in FEMCO meetings, with topics ranging from women in politics to women’s health and the history of feminism.

“I think feminism is an important topic that needs to be discussed, and it’s good to bounce ideas off of other people,” Vera Nahrgang (10) said. “FEMCO is a safe space to discuss ideas and everything.”

While senior officers lead these discussions, they are ultimately a collaborative process for all meeting attendees. Members hope to educate the community about feminism and women’s movements through open discourse and outreach.

“What I love about FEMCO is the people and our desire to create positive change,” co-president Mina Farrow-Prater said. “What makes it such a fantastic space is that it is a group that has come together to make a difference, to educate, and to uplift those in need. Being the co-president is so valuable to me because I get to not only nurture this community and watch it grow, but I get to be a part of this change.”