Sororities are meant to be for women empowerment, yet the double standards in Greek life are far from gender equality. Fraternities and sororities have been around for hundreds of years and yet they are still stuck in those old ways. I am all for tradition, but to not adjust to modern times just does not make any sense.
It is no secret that men and women are not truly equal in society, even though we should be by now. Women are still sexually objectified, slut-shamed for being promiscuous and seen as inferior beings to men. It is frustrating to be a feminist when you're a part of a community that does not try to change this concept.
Sorority women are prohibited from having alcohol in their house, cannot drink in their letters or after any sorority event, and have strict policies against male guests upstairs. Fraternity men, on the other hand, have no policies like these. The “no boys in the house” rule for example, unfairly implies that most relationships with males are promiscuous and deserve to be condemned. These rules are supposedly for our benefit, but really they force us into a social territory that men dictate.
Advisers and older members will often tell you that the reason we have all of these rules is for sorority women to hold themselves to a higher standard and not be the stereotype. If this is the case, why can fraternities do this? If we are holding ourselves to a higher standard, why can we still go to their parties and still be the stereotype? Women should have the same rights as men to make the same choices.
In Greek Life, there are the concepts of sweethearts and lavaliers. Fraternities can ask a woman to be their "sweetheart," which means that they have done a lot for the organization and are allowed to wear their letters. To be "lavaliered" is basically to receive a Greek engagement. The fraternity man asks his brothers if the woman is worthy enough to wear their letters. Both of which I find to be incredibly sexist because you don't see sororities doing the same thing. No one else can wear their sorority letters as a male.
Aside from the double standards between fraternities and sororities, comes the inequality of sexuality. Yes, we now allow transgendered and gay people to join our organizations, but the rules are still based around heterosexual beliefs. Men are not allowed upstairs in a sorority house, but what about female significant others? There is no rule against it. I also think that it is unfair for many sororities to still require dresses and heels for certain events. I understand the tradition behind it, but what about inclusivity?
I feel like that similar to society, there is a lot of change that needs to happen within Greek life. It is an amazing community that does great things, but I feel like there is a lot of inequality that should be fixed. Men and women are equal and should be treated as such. If one group is required to abide by rules, so should the other. Additionally, if we are a community based on creating leaders and making a difference, alcohol should not be a factor since our personal lives are separate. Those who defend the rules say that it is a liability issue, but you do not see fraternities having the same set of rules put into place. We have social policy rules for a reason. I am a sorority woman trying to pursue academic excellence and a professional career in our modern world, yet the Collegiate Panhellenic Council does not reflect these progressive societal changes.
