Margaret Thatcher, Susan B. Anthony, Kathleen Hanna, Beyoncé, and now Isis Wenger. Just in case you don’t know those names, the theme is iconic women. On August 1, 2015 Isis Wenger created the #ilooklikeanengineer campaign and wrote an entry for medium.com explaining her compounding experiences that lead her to ignite a feminist phenomenon. I would love to say that she was highlighting sexism as a female audio engineer, but technically, it was addressing the STEM field at large.

So what can we take away from the newest wave of feminism and hashtag campaign? This Twitter trend is helping to highlight the problem of sexism to a point where it can no longer be ignored. Admittedly, before pursuing my audio engineering degree, I believed sexism to be rare and hyperbolized through the media. Then, I went to college. On a daily basis, I am appalled by how male peers treat female students and how female peers allow themselves to be treated. My job is a part of a large tech crew that works for a performance hall on campus. What made me realize that I needed to become more vocal were the questions the new girls would ask once they were working shows. When something happens, they turn to me to see how to handle the situation.

Isis was told that she couldn’t possibly be more than a model for a company that she helped start. I still do not understand the mentality behind thinking a woman must be ugly in order to be smart. There is no inherent biological difference that better qualifies a man or woman to mix monitors. The best part is you don’t even have to act more like a tomboy just because you’re on a crew. Be the tech with pink gloves, pink rope, pink spike tape. You shouldn’t have to hide the fact that you’re a woman just to fit in.

My favorite part of this campaign is the emphasis on the “I”. No matter what you look like, or what part of the engineering field you’re in, you look like an engineer. You’re taking complete ownership of your abilities and also boosting the overall morale of the larger community of women. This campaign says “I am a woman, I am an engineer, and I want your respect.” But you shouldn’t be asking for respect. When you walk into work or class, your very presence and attitude must command the attention and be esteemed as an equal. Do not feel pressured to be the “hot tech”; that isn’t respect, even if it feels like it. Do not let your male employees take credit for your work. Do not even think of remaining quiet when a coworker makes you feel uncomfortable.

I would like to conclude on a note of community. Though the hashtag promotes the individual, it also unites the group. Women as well as minorities and the LGBTQA+ community have rallied together in order to make this movement count. Every single woman who has fought, is fighting, or will be fighting their way through a STEM field should know that she is not alone. Keep your head high and rest easy knowing that the reason most males are uncomfortable with you being in your position is because they’re probably jealous of your pink work gloves. Remember: there is nothing about having a penis that makes someone inherently better at anything. Well, maybe using urinals, but that’s about it.

–Ashley Burns