Editor’s Note: “Questions of the Week” is part of a weekly series in which Daily reporter Nina Fox interviews a prominent person in the Iowa State and Ames communities.

To suggest a person to interview, submit an e-mail request to [email protected]. This week’s interview is with Pamela Thomas, director of the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center.

Usually most people don’t connect men with the Women’s Center. What are you planning to encourage men to get involved?

What I started this year was a men’s outreach program, and I have been trying to garner some support from the men because they are a part of women’s issues. We’re really trying to get that message across, and we’re looking for men who want to do some educational programming and peer educating. We had a training last Saturday, and we did have a few men, but we’d like to see a lot more. It will take some time just for men to adjust to the Women’s Center.

Unfortunately, I think there has been this misunderstanding of what the Women’s Center is. There has been this dual purpose that the Women’s Center holds. It does seem to be a safe, warm and inviting place that women can come in and fall asleep on the couch, which they do, or watch their soaps, which they do. But it also needs to be a place where men aren’t afraid to go.

Surprisingly enough, a lot of men call, but they don’t come in. They call about sexual assault or rape that has happened to their girlfriend or someone they care about and ask, “What’s the help I can get her?” But they won’t come in, typically, which is kind of too bad.

Do you think there are a lot of feminists on the Iowa State campus?

I think there are a lot of feminists on campus who would not define themselves as a feminist. And that’s the thing I am finding, that when I talk to women on campus who say I believe in XYZ, equality, women taking a role … I’ll ask them, “Are you a feminist?” They say, “Oh, no.”

I really do think that young women have strong beliefs on equality, but they don’t define themselves as feminists. I find that problematic.

What is your definition of a feminist?

I think just one of the things I think about being a feminist … is someone who believes in themselves as a woman. And that they believe not so much in equality, although I think that’s a big part of it, but equity. I think people confuse equality and equity. So I would believe that a feminist is very much concerned with those issues of equality and equity.

What types of problems do most women come in with?

We have a lot of people who come in wanting information about the Women’s Center. Or people will come in for friends who have been sexually assaulted, or it could be the person themselves. It rarely is the person themselves; they will have an initial contact who will call to make sure it’s a safe place.

We provide information and referrals, but we are also a support mechanism where we specifically talk and get some normalcy back in their lives.