Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
In honor of Women’s History Month, a new student organization at Cal State San Bernardino is giving back to the community through a donation drive supporting local survivors of domestic abuse.
The Intersectional Feminist Alliance (IFA), which advocates for gender equity and women’s empowerment, is collecting donations now through March 31 for Option House, a 24-hour crisis intervention shelter located in San Bernardino. Donations can be dropped off in UH-018.
The drive is open to the entire campus community, and Option House is requesting new and packaged items, such as cleaning and cooking supplies, personal care products, arts and crafts materials, and baby items, including formula and diapers. A full list of accepted items is available on the IFA’s Instagram page.
Raisa Alvarado, assistant professor of communication and media and the IFA’s faculty advisor, hopes the drive inspires others to get involved.
“I look forward to continuing the work of building spaces of solidarity, community, and empowerment,” she said. In addition to expanding IFA membership, Alvarado hopes to collaborate with more community partners like Option House and strengthen interdisciplinary alliances that empower student activists on campus.
Alvarado currently teaches “Girl Power and Social Movements,” a course exploring how past social movements have used rhetoric to inspire action. She was thrilled when Leslie Rodriguez, the organization’s inaugural student president, approached her with the idea to launch a feminist student group focused on gender equality, community, and reproductive justice.
While students in the course work in groups to examine 21st-century social movements for their final projects, Alvarado said the creation of IFA “represents another powerful extension of the course.”
Rodriguez, a communication and media major, was first inspired to start the IFA after reading “Woman at Point Zero” in a class on Arabic women’s literature.
“We spoke of the abuse and difficulties that the female character in the book faced,” she said. “We spoke of how common abuse is, the stigma when it comes to speaking about it, and how some women in the class could relate.”
Motivated to create change, Rodriguez began asking peers around campus if they’d be interested in joining a feminist student organization. After gaining momentum, she launched the IFA’s Instagram page, which quickly attracted attention.
“Our purpose is to advocate for gender equality and human rights,” she said. “We believe everyone deserves dignity, respect, autonomy over their own bodies and equal opportunities.”
Both Alvarado and Rodriguez emphasized that the “intersectional” aspect of the group’s name reflects the organization’s recognition that feminism is not a one-size-fits-all experience.
“We recognize that marginalized communities and women in general will experience oppression distinctly based on their positionalities,” they said, noting that gender oppression is often connected with discrimination related to race, class, sexuality, disability, and more. “At the IFA, we strive to create an inclusive space to advocate for gender equity across all communities.”
Recently, the IFA became affiliated with the Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties, joining a nationwide network of over 350 campus groups working for social justice.
“As affiliates of the Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties, we are excited to represent CSUSB and join 350-plus campus groups across the country who are advocating for social justice,” said Alvarado.
This new partnership will offer CSUSB students access to additional resources, support, and service-learning opportunities, further strengthening community ties across the Inland Empire.
The Intersectional Feminist Alliance meets every Thursday at noon in PL-415. Students interested in learning more or getting involved can follow the IFA on Instagram, where they post regular updates about meetings, events and community collaborations.