The Roots of Domestic Violence

Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer

Domestic violence roots itself in wanting power and control over your partner. Insecurity, childhood trauma, and / or economic hardship are all possible grounds for domestic violence to begin. Signs of abuse include jealousy, cruelty to animals or children, verbal abuse, intense and sudden mood swings, threats of physical punishment, and unrealistic expectations. Warning signs of someone who may become abusive are tight relationship roles, controlling money or housing, verbal abuse, and arguments escalating intensely. 

Victims of domestic violence also present symptoms. Family and friends who may be experiencing domestic violence may become more reserved, depressed, and present other attributes that are unlike themselves. If you have already had suspicions of violence going on with someone you know, these signs could be confirmation.

When wanting to help a victim of domestic violence, make time for them, make them feel heard, lose judgment, validate their feelings, and try to find outside support and resources to strengthen their recovery. If you are finding yourself questioning or fully knowing that you are in an unhealthy and possibly violent relationship, leaving can be challenging. You are not to blame and deserve to be treated with love and respect. 

Some tips to handle domestic violence situations would be to come up with safety plans, protect your privacy, talk to a close friend or loved one, and find a safe community to speak about what is happening in your relationship. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please use the following resources, provided by Denver Health:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-7233

https://www.thehotline.org/

Rose Andom Center in Denver, CO

720-337-4400

https://roseandomcenter.org/

PorchLight

720-853-8850

https://www.porchlightfjc.org/

Gateway Domestic Violence Services

303-343-1851

https://gatewayshelter.org/

SafeHouse Denver

303-318-9989

https://safehouse-denver.org/

Abortion Pill Makes It to the Supreme Court

Note: Content on the Highlander website may not reflect the opinions of the university.

By Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer 

The battle over the abortion pill has finally reached the Supreme Court. The FDA made the abortion pill more accessible as medicated abortions were spiking and now the Supreme Court is investigating whether or not the FDA made the right decision. The pill allows for more comfort and less embarrassment as well when a woman chooses an abortion. The abortion pill is nearly 10 times more accessible than a traditional procedure, and helps those who are in states where abortion has now become illegal. The good thing is that most people across all political parties back the abortion pill.

Abortion should not have to be a government-regulated issue but rather, an issue that should be taken up between the woman and her doctor. If we continuously support these women and their choice, we can make a change in how abortion is viewed. Getting the abortion pill passed would be a good step to getting abortion legalized again. We need to continue making strides so that they know we won't back down even after the overturning of Roe V. Wade. 

Walk A Day in My Heels

By Austin Price, Editor in Chief

I am a woman. Simple statement I know but complicated undertones. I am a woman. I am smart, I am kind, and I am worthy. With every positive aspect from my womanhood comes negative aspects that men do not often face.  

I am a woman. I am underestimated. I am taken advantage of. I am used. While these attributes are not only applicable to women, and can spread to men and other identifying persons, I would argue that women feel the brunt of this victimization.  

Women are naturally viewed as the lesser sex. I believe this stereotype comes from the Holy Bible in the traditional origin story of creation. For those who don’t know, here’s a quick summary.  

Basically, after several days of creating the world, God made man, this man was known as Adam. Adam was a physical being known as the very first human to ever inhabit the world that God just finished. Adam, as the only human alive, was lonely, and despite God’s best efforts by giving Adam plenty of plants and animals to keep him company, he was still unhappy. 

And so, God decided that Adam needed a partner, a human partner. However, this human partner could not be the same as Adam. And so, taking one rib from man, God created woman. God created Eve. Eve was made by Adam. Adam supported the creation of Eve. This origin story ties Adam and Eve, man and woman, in a complex relationship that can never be denied. This relationship is one of superiority and debt. Because Eve’s creation would not succeed without a part of Adam, Eve is forever intertwined with Adam, with less power in the relationship. Because Adam assisted in giving Eve life, Eve is now expected to assist Adam as the perfect partner, the ultimate supporter, and the obedient wife.  

Despite countless years of life on Earth, and consistent changes in societal expectations and relationship dynamics, the idea that Eve must be everything for Adam remains the same. Women are expected to be everything for men. Now, this idea could be applied to a woman and her friend who’s a man. This idea applies to a woman who’s dating a man. This idea applies to a woman who’s married to a man. This idea applies to a man and woman that are colleagues. This idea applies to a man and a woman that are complete strangers.  

The simple truth is that women are not as valued as men. Women are not as important as men. Women are not as appreciated as men. Now, I have no idea how to change this. After generations of this trend remaining consistent, I know that myself as an individual cannot begin to fight this battle. But what I can do is use my platform as a writer to present a challenge to men. A challenge for men to live a day with the same habits, fears, and anxieties as a woman as. I present a challenge for men, to walk a day in my shoes. Well, to be more fashionably up to date and to meet the societal expectations of women’s uncomfortable and entirely dysfunctional footwear, I present a challenge for men to walk a day in my heels.  

First, we start with the morning requirements. There cannot be any tangles in your hair. There must be no whiff of bad breath. There must be perfectly clear skin, with not a pimple or acne scar in sight. You must do all these things within a reasonable timespan of at maximum, 20 minutes, or else you will be criticized and mocked for spending too much time in the bathroom.  

Up next, you need to get dressed. Now, your outfit must be flattering, but not skimpy. It must be cohesive but not uniform. It must be unique but not obnoxious. And it must be functional but more importantly fashionable.  

Now for breakfast. Skip it. You don’t need the calories. And more importantly, you don’t deserve the calories.  

As you go about your morning, smile. Don’t smile too much and don’t, under any circumstances, smile showing your teeth. Because if you’re showing your teeth, that means you’re flirting. And if you’re flirting, that means you’re asking for it. And if you’re asking for it, that means you deserve to be taken advantage of. And let’s face it, it’s way too early in the morning to be taken advantage of. But you need to keep semi smiling because if you don’t, congratulations you’re now a bitch.  

Alright the day is dragging on. Your feet are killing you because of those stupid but cute and trendy heels you're wearing. Your face is sweating but you can’t do anything about it because of the 2 pounds of makeup coating your face.  

But not to worry, it’s lunchtime!  

Just kidding, you’re a woman. You don’t get an actual lunch. An actual lunch has too many calories. So, enjoy that green grass protein smoothie. But don’t drink it too fast. Otherwise, you’ll bloat and if you bloat you will look fat. And if you look fat, the day’s ruined.  

The afternoon approaches and you check your phone. You notice the date. Crap. It’s the start of your period. And as if on que, your uterus feels like it’s being brutally stabbed by a dagger. Time to run to the bathroom. Also, don’t forget your emergency supplies of clean underwear, tampons, pads and Advil! You know, the stuff you keep in your comically large bag that everyone makes fun of you for? Well now you see the usefulness of being a part-time camel as you drag everyone’s stuff around.  

Now that the blood has been cleaned, the clothes have been changed, and the spirit has been broken, it’s time to exit the bathroom where once again, you will be mocked for taking too long. As if you weren’t beaten down enough already, now you deal with the jackass outside asking if you fell in.  

Whatever, it’s time to go home now. But, to go home, you need to get to your car. And to get to your car, you need to walk three blocks in the dark. Alone.  

Time to prepare for the journey into the unknown. You know what you need to do.  

First, grab that pink can of pepper spray your dad gave you when you hit puberty.  

Second, grab your car keys and interlace them with your fingers. The goal is to look like a knock off version of Wolverine.  

Third, take out your earbuds, and stop your music. You need to be able to hear everything going on around you.  

Finally, put your phone in your pocket. You don’t want to be targeted for your lack of attention when staring at your screen. 

Alright, now you can start walking to your car. Keep your steps long, eyes wide, and weapons (AKA pepper spray and car keys) drawn. Keep your chin up and your breathing steady.  

I know right now it's terrifying. You’re afraid of getting killed, raped or eaten. But no matter what, don’t ever let them see you cry. Fake it till you make it. Keep powerhouse mall style walking to your car.  

You’ve made it! But don’t get into the car yet. You need to check underneath the car for predators. You need to check the backseat for predators. Once you’ve climbed in, press the lock button before you even catch your breath.  

Alright, you’ve made it. However, the night’s not over yet. Now you need to drive because predators might be watching you. You need to drive home, but constantly check your mirrors to make sure no one’s following you. And you need to take the most complex, twisty roads imaginable because you need to switch up your route every night. You can never give potential predators your routine.  

You’re finally home. You’ve checked all the doors and windows to ensure they’re tightly locked. You draw every curtain to make sure no one can see inside.  

You set down your heavy bag and immediately begin to strip. Wearing that wired bra all day every day is an Olympic sport. You climb out of your heels leaving you flatfoot. Now you’re 2 inches shorter, and your feet feel like duck flippers but at least you’re back on the ground.  

Now into the shower, where you get to scrub off your sweaty, leaky makeup. Wash your hair, pluck the eyebrows, shave everything, scrub everything, put on a face mask, exfoliate everything, moisturize everything, and lotion every inch of your body.  

Exit the bathroom and yep, you guessed it, you're being chastised for how long you spent in the shower. After a day of trying to be the expected version of a woman in the 21st century, you get to sleep. But you’re not going to sleep well because you’re still bleeding, and your cramps feel like something trying to escape from your uterus. 

Other than that, you made it! You successfully walked a day in my heels! Congratulations! Don’t celebrate too much, cause we’re back at it tomorrow.  

It’s A Man’s World, yet Women are Paying for It – The Controversy and Debate Surrounding the Pink Tax

By Austin Price, Staff Writer

Women have always been underestimated and devalued. When we do succeed and beat the odds, we are harassed or ridiculed. Because of this, I sadly say that this world is indeed a man’s world. One of the main things that makes our world a man’s world and not an equal human world is the blatant disregard for women’s personal needs in both a physical and mental sense.

There’s a lot of contributing factors leading to the inequality of women, but one of the main ones is demonstrated in commercialized retail items made in bulk, specifically targeting towards women. By rejecting women’s needs and increasing stress on their personal financial struggles, large corporations are bleeding women dry. This phenomenon is known as the pink tax.

What is the Pink Tax?

The pink tax is not a tax in the literal sense. It refers to how women pay more for the same, or similar, products and services than men. This phenomenon is often attributed to gender-based price discrimination, whose name stems from the observation that many of the affected products are pink. Gender-based price disparities are prevalent in several sectors, but one of the most visible is personal care products. These include, for example, soaps, lotions, razor blades and deodorants that are marketed specifically to either women or men.

The pink tax also affects women’s clothing, shoes, haircuts, and other related services. Women are introduced to the pink tax at a very young age, in their early childhood. This introduction occurs even before they have learned to be self-conscious and judgmental of themselves. Oftentimes, children’s toys marketed to girls are more expensive than toys marketed to boys, even if the product is identical between the two marketed genders.

The purpose of the pink tax is a simple marketing technique relying on gender-based discrimination. It is to entice certain people to buy certain products over others. When a company manufactures or sells a product, it may choose to price it a bit higher because it’s for women. In most cases, the difference between these products and comparable products for men is very minor. It may simply be the color or package design. The pink tax makes it more expensive for women to buy what they need to live their everyday lives.

The pink tax can be applied to various products and services, with beauty- and health-related products or services being the most common. For example, at the drugstore, you may notice that some razors may be pink in color and have a woman on the package, yet they are essentially the same as those that are blue with a man on the package. This marketing tactic is to entice certain people to buy certain products over others. And in that, the ones that are marketed toward women tend to cost more.

According to investment bank JPMorgan Chase, by many estimates, the pink tax costs women an average of $1,300 per year. The average women will live to be 81 years old. Including infancy, adolescence, teenage, young adult, middle age, and senior years, the burden of the pink tax is staggeringly high at over $100,000 in total spent.

In a 2015 study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), researchers surveyed 35 product categories that may upcharge women. Across the sample, DCA found that women's products cost more 42% of the time, while men’s products cost more 18% of the time.

The pink tax can also be seen in products and services marketed toward girls, not just adult women. According to the New York City DCA report, on average, children’s clothing marketed toward females costs an average of 4% more than male children’s clothing, and toys and accessories cost an average of 7% more.

History of the Pink Tax

The pink tax first made its debut in the 1990s when a report from California’s Assembly Office of Research found that 64% of stores in several major cities charged more to wash and dry-clean a woman’s blouse than a man’s button-up shirt. In 1991, Yale Law professor Ian Ayres found that car dealerships were systematically offering better prices on identical cars to white men than they were for black or women shoppers.

Before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010 and prohibited the practice, health insurers routinely charged women higher monthly premiums than men. The rationale for charging women more for health insurance was that women have more health, specifically, reproductive costs than men.   The subject gained national attention and had since spurred various attempts at instituting regulation to remove the pink tax. As the years have gone by, the pink tax remains in nearly every state in the USA. The only state that has made headway in eliminating the pink tax is New York.

Legislation

New York state is the only state that placed a ban on the pink tax. In April 2020, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a proposal to ban the pink tax, and it went into effect on Sept. 30, 2020. The measure requires certain service providers to provide price lists for standard services and notifies them that gender-based price discrimination is prohibited under state law. If businesses violate the law, they are subject to civil penalties.

Despite this small start, there is hope for more progress towards the eventual elimination of the pink tax throughout the entire country. The Pink Tax Repeal Act is an attempt to ban it. Introduced in April 2019 as H.R. 2048 by Rep. Jackie Speier and again in June 2021, the Pink Tax Repeal Act would make it illegal for companies to charge higher prices based on gender for products and services.

Since the Pink Tax Repeal Act does have supporters, and New York has put an end to the pink tax, there is a chance the pink tax will eventually become illegal in every state. California has been the second state to support this long overdue and progressive movement. As of Jan. 1, 2023, California instituted a pink tax ban like that of New York.

According to Rocket HQ, attempts have been made to legislate against the pink tax at a federal level as well. In April 2019, the Pink Tax Repeal Act was re-introduced to Congress – following two earlier versions from 2016 and 2018 – by Rep. Jackie Speier of California’s 14th district. Speier was responsible for introducing California’s law that banned gender-based pricing for services, the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995. The proposed federal legislation would make it illegal for companies to charge women and men different prices for similar products or services.

Cultural Contributions to the Pink Tax

The central question of this debate is why does the pink tax even exist? Liz Grauerholz, a professor of sociology at University of Central Florida and co-author of “The Cost of Doing Femininity: Gendered Disparities in Pricing of Personal Care Products and Services,” believes that this gender price gap is most likely due to both economic and cultural influences.

“Economic issues that may factor in include supply-and-demand dynamics, differential tariffs on imported goods, marketing costs, and so on. But these factors are not likely to explain all the cost differences across a wide range of products and services. Cultural factors certainly play a role here,” Grauerholz said.

In other words, the pink tax issue is not one based around the actual exchange of money, but instead is based on the societal differences in how we raise boys against how we raise girls. Girls are raised in a way that promotes submissive behavior, obedient attitudes, and minimal self-confidence. Girls are raised to believe they are less than boys and therefore, in order to make up for that inequality, must present their best selves and place value on their physical appearance in a way that is pleasing to the male gaze.

“Culturally speaking, women are under far greater pressure to conform to appearance norms – to look ‘put together,’ wear make-up, wear certain types of clothes, and so on. Corporations know this and market heavily to women, especially around personal care products and services, which may drive up costs and demand for these products,” Grauerholz said.

Through primal instinct and natural tendencies, men believe they are better, stronger, more successful and ultimately, more powerful. Therefore, even without realizing it, men create a dilemma for women that discounts their humanity as they struggle to afford personal care products while making 17% less than their male counterparts and colleagues.

“Despite the fact that, as human beings, men and women are far more similar than different, our culture overemphasizes differences and even creates difference when it doesn’t exist (e.g., creating different soaps for the female and male bodies). Because gender is so central to our identities and cultural roles, most of us are invested in perpetuating the myth of difference to justify differential treatment, and therefore purchase without question products marketed to our sex,” Grauerholz said.

How to Make a Difference

Independent organizations and volunteer-built movements have also taken a stand against the outrageous cost of the pink tax. Blue Tax Body and Care is an organization centered on distributing products that include a 13% blue tax which is paid each month to an organization working on gender equity issues for all gender identities. Their work and profits have benefited organizations such as the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota, Trans Plus, Soul Sisters Leadership Collective, Men as Peace Makers, and the Ms. Foundation for Women.

To support this growing movement and long-overdue demand for change, visit:                    https://mybluetax.com/

Other ways to support the end of the Pink Tax are through sites like Ax the Pink Tax, Tax-Free Period, and Girl Power Marketing are working hard to spread awareness about the issue. Accessing information on their sites goes a long way to supporting their initiatives. Additionally, promoting awareness of the issue is also a huge step. When consumers are more informed, they can make better decisions.

Using the hashtags #axthepinktax and #pinktax on social media can let your friends, family, and social media followers know that gender-based pricing is real.

To visit and support these initiatives, visit:

https://axthepinktax.com/#calculator

https://www.taxfreeperiod.com/

https://girlpowermarketing.com/

Another main way to support the ending of the pink tax is to shop strategically. More and more companies are beginning to act in ending the pink tax. Here are some companies that have demolished the pink tax and offer products of equal quality and price to everyone, no matter how you identify:

https://www.boxed.com/

https://mybillie.com/

https://snowehome.com/blogs/magazine/reverse-pink-tax

https://www.americanspa.com/news/european-wax-center-and-refinery29-team-ax-pink-tax

https://brandless.com/

In conclusion, the pink tax is not fair. However, there are ways to support the end of the pink tax as consumers and as humans fighting for gender equality. All it takes is a little research for some eye-opening results.

Red Flag Campaign and Women's Issues

By: Hannah Ury, Staff Writer

On Sept. 23rd, the Office of Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention set up a display on the quad with a sign that read, “Say something when you see warning signs (red flags) for sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking. Put a flag in the ground to show your support!”

Photo by Morgan Jacobus

Last week, the Red Flag Campaign was featured on campus outside of the Student Center. They hosted a Zoom discussion regarding relationship violence and sexual assault, but aside from that it did not receive a whole lot of attention on campus. The Red Flag Campaign is a part of the Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Assault Research Development Group in the Institute for Women’s Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, designed to bring awareness to the issues of relationship violence that can be prevalent on college campuses and beyond. While it can feel like the topic gets beat to death, it is ultimately more important now than ever to bring attention to women’s issues. 

With the recent Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, it is clear that women’s rights are under attack, and if Barrett is approved, they could be for decades. Not only would she restrict a woman’s right to safe abortion, including cases of rape, she would also restrict access to helpful organizations like Planned Parenthood. While the Red Flag Campaign is doing incredibly important work, it is ultimately a team effort that will achieve the necessary results for women in America. 

Already President Trump has taken significant action against sexual assault survivors on college campuses. Title IX, a rule concerning sex-based discrimination and sexual assault on college campuses, has been severely limited by his administration. While the goal of the Red Flag Campaign and other survivor advocacy groups is to make it as easy as possible for survivors to report instances of sexual misconduct, the Trump administration has done its best to ensure survivors do not report what happens to them. What had previously been a broad definition intended to allow for ease of reporting has now been narrowed to “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” actions of sexual misconduct, according to his new version of Title IX. This definition is extremely harmful to survivors trying to report sexual misconduct because it is entirely subjective. As a result of the subjectivity of the rule, administrations who want to lower their school’s sexual misconduct statistics can simply decide that instances of clear misconduct were not actually severe enough to justify investigation. Rather than giving power to victims who simply want to see some sort of justice, President Trump has given power to the abusers and college administrations. 

While attacks such as these can make college students feel powerless, it is important to remember why an extremely conservative Supreme Court nominee is being pushed through at the last hour. Conservatives know the power young people hold. Young people have the ability to sway elections, and for the first time we can have more impact on this election than the Baby Boomer generation. Sexual assault survivors are counting on us to preserve their rights, and for that reason along with a billion others, voting is more important now than ever. The Red Flag Campaign is an example of what survivors of relationship violence and sexual misconduct deserve: someone to stand in their corner. Vote this November and do your part in standing with survivors.