The Women's Convention, a three-day convention bringing together outspoken politicians, movement leaders, and activists leading up to the 2018 midterms, is set to begin on October 27 in Detroit, Michigan. The convention is being led by the organizers of the Women's March, which brought millions of people together to protest Donald Trump's inauguration in January. However, the women spearheading the event sparked controversy on Thursday when they announced Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a man, would be giving the speech on opening night.
The 2016 presidential candidate is one of two men set to address the convention's attendees. His primetime slot prompted many feminist leaders to question why a man is set to kick-off the discussion on female empowerment.
However, despite the political connotations, Bernie is only one of two men, out of 60 women scheduled to address the convention's attendees. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the event's keynote speaker, and despite her headlining the convention, many news outlets have decided to omit that detail. Most of the women who organized the event are women of color, many of whom took to Twitter to defend their decision to invite Sanders to speak.
The controversy stems not only from Sanders' gender but also the political context surrounding the Democratic primaries last year. Not only did the decision between Hillary and Bernie expose many divisions within the democratic party, after Hillary Clinton lost in the general election, many political enthusiasts declared that Sanders could have been the force that beat Trump. While this political opinion is incredibly multifaceted, this may have been in the case, in part because Hillary is a woman.
However, it's crucial to the feminist movement that men in power be a part of the larger conversation on gender equality. Part of tackling the sexist mentality that has long been ingrained in our society is having many different perspectives be a part of the solution. Without inviting men to address the role that they play in empowering women, the movement can only go so far.
