By Holly Craig-Wehrle

Ellen Bravo, current professor in the department of Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and former national director of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women, gave a lecture at UCLA on October 29 over topics covered in her new book, Taking on the Big Boys: Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business, and the Nation. Hosted by the Center for the Study of Women and the UCLA Institute for Research and Employment, the Bravo revealed and analyzed the gender inequalities generated by the “Big Boys” that still plague the American work force today.

            Despite her even tone of voice, Bravo’s passion for equality showed through as she argued that, in addition to other inequalities, the undervaluation of women’s work is the greatest reason for gender disparity in wages (white women make 77 cents to a man’s dollar; Black women 68 cents; Latina women 63 cents). Defining the Big Boys as “the people who control the power and the wealth in the country, the only ones who directly benefit from discrimination,” she demonstrated how these Big Boys are responsible not only for much of this continued inequality but also for the widespread ignorance and division surrounding feminism.

            According to Bravo, the Big Boys minimize and trivialize the problem of inequality, patronize some women while demonizing others, and compartmentalize women to incite tension between mothers and childless women, part-time and full-time workers, and many other categories. Animatedly, humorously, and occasionally bitterly detailing examples of unjust disparity in wages for equal work and a system that rewards superficial qualities over merit, the Bravo eloquently inspired a sense of righteous indignation in her listeners.

            Her lecture reached its climax when she boldly asserted that Americans must “not just smash the glass ceiling but redesign the building!” Bravo’s lecture ended with some ideas of how to do this, and she added that many more examples of these ideas being put into practice could be found in her book, which is available at the UCLA Bookstore. With the lecture portion over, Bravo then took questions from her listeners - men, women, professors, graduate students, undergrads, laborers and community organizers. Her audience reflected the diverse subject of her work - all kinds of people suffer from gender discrimination. As her lecture suggested, it is up to each of us to support our economy, one another and ourselves by taking a stand and “redesigning the building.”