The Women's Center

UNIVERSITY HALL'S recent decision to cut its funding agreement with the Women's Center is a blow to all women on campus, and a significant step backwards for Harvard's policy on women and their needs. The Wmen's Center, formerly known as the Women's Clearinghouse, make a contract three years ago with Archie C. Epps III, dean of students stipulating that the University recognize the need for a support organization for women at Harvard. The University agreed to provide a room for the center, in the basement of Lehman Hall, as well as funds to pay for its phone bill, coffee for open houses, and the 200 employer contribution to the pay of three College Work Study Program staffers. The original amount quoted, according to center staff members was $1350 a year for the duration of the contract.

The University actually forked over much less, since the Women's Center received funds only as bills arose. "Staffer Carol Owens says the amount spent by the Administration on the organization last year was "not more than $400 in total." The issue here is hence not one of expense. The cost to University Hall of funding the Women's Center is negligible.

Marlyn Lewis '70 who inherited responsibility for advising the center when she became dean of Co-education, total center staffers there were two main reasons why the University did not renew its funding arrangement with the group. She explained that the University does not finance student organizations in general, and claimed that the Administration was not satisfied that significant numbers of women on campus were being served by the center.

This rationale just doesn't hold up While it is true that the University does not fund student organizations in general, the Women's Center is not a typical student organization. For one thing, it serves not only graduates, but all women in the Harvard community. And although instituted by undergraduates, the center addresses concerns which are really the responsibility of the Administration.

THE WOMEN'S CENTER fulfills the most basic need-that to belong-of over one-third of the Harvard community. The center provides women with a support group that recognizes their needs and legitimizes their presence on campus. The very existence of a tangible meeting place where women can go to seek support gives them the added confidence they need to achieve and feel comfortable in this male-dominated institution.

If the University is concerned, as it claims to be, with eliminating discrimination that can be subtle as well as over it should be just as interested in eliminating such discrimination against women as it is in ridding the campus of bias against racial minority groups. A University which has funds for a Race Relations Foundation should have funds for a women's center.

As for the objection to continued funding on the grounds that the Women's Center does not serve enough Harvard women, the numbers say otherwise. Four hundred and fifty people participated in the Take Back the Night March two years ago; hundreds more took part in last year's Rape Awareness Weekend. Open houses attract between 15 and 30 undergraduates to the center every other Friday afternoon and women's groups like the Radeliffe Lesbians Association and Among Women, a discussion group, actually use it as a meeting place. Last year's ERA action teams worked out of the Clearinghouse, as will this year's Pro-Choice Action Committee. The center is open every day and attracts dozens of women because of its library, information it provides on issues of concern to women and its free coffee. Some of these women make their first feminist contacts at the center: it creates networks among women the new Rape/Sexual Harassment Hotline grew out of early discussions at the center, as did the women's Self-defense course at Currier House. The center expects to involve hundreds more in this year's Women's Health Week. The numbers are there: it's the money that's missing.

The Women's Center will continue to operate, on a shoestring budget staffed by volunteers. With some funds from the new Student Council, the Radeliffe Union of Students and Radeliffe College, the staffers hope to implement some of their major projects like Women's Health Week, even if they can't pay their phone bill. Surely University Hall must rethink its decision on financing the Women's Center. If the Administration's commitment to elliminating discrimination against women on campus exists at all it exists in funding for the Women's Center.