‘If you don’t have a voice, get one’
In honor of International Women’s Day, activist Janice Rael urges men and women to raise their voices for issues they are passionate about to make change a reality.
Janice Rael is a woman of many titles: Founder and president of the Delaware Valley Chapter of America’s United for Separation of Church and State, chairperson of America’s United National Leadership Council, lead organizer of Philadelphia’s March for Science, and mom. Rael, originally from Glassboro, moved to Clayton in 1994. As a family passionate about politics, her children were taught to stand up for what they believe in and vote for the rights they deserve.
“I raised them to be politically aware and concerned. My daughter has been going to different rallies and marches. My son is politically outspoken; he confronts people at parties if they say racist comments. It’s one of the things that make me so proud of them,” Rael said. “My family all votes; as soon as they turned 18 we registered to vote. We’re a political family. The kids are socially aware and outspoken, and that’s all I ask them to be.”
Rael, who has many years of experience with activism and advocacy, says those looking to get involved should start with the traditional organizations that are ready to pass their knowledge on to generations to come.
“Get involved with some of the more traditional organizations that have been around for a long time. They may think, ‘oh, I don’t fit in there, that’s a bunch of old ladies,’ but those ladies are ready to educate young women and really bring them into the fold and show them what they can do,” Rael said.
When coordinating the science march in Philadelphia, Rael was surprised that the majority of core organizers were women, and is beginning to notice that women today are becoming more and more involved in activism and politics across the country.
“Normally science is a male-dominated arena, but it just so happened that most of the initial volunteers were women of diverse backgrounds and races. I’m used to working with men on these issues; it was really refreshing to have so many women on our team,” Rael said. “I’ve noticed women are getting more involved with politics. Friends who would normally go out to a bar are out at a public forum. Its great to see women leading the way in doing this.”
With women stepping up and raising their voice, Rael said men have an equal responsibility of supporting these women and what they believe.
“Men of quality respect women’s equality. We look for men of quality; we need them, and we need everybody, all hands on deck, to support everyone’s rights equally,” Rael said. “It’s important that men recognize how society has been biased of women for so long. We’ve had to fight and struggle for everything we have. We need their help now to maintain what we have; we need them on our side.”
Rael would like to see changes for women such as equal pay, better maternity leave and paternity leave for fathers. She is an active spokesperson for science, standing up for science education, science funding and science facts. This April, she is expecting around 30,000 people to join the Philadelphia March for Science on Earth Day, one of 190 marches worldwide.
“Anyone can find an issue they are passionate about and get involved with a group that is devoted to that issue. Get involved with meetings, pay membership dues so they can keep doing what they do; there’s lots of ways to get involved,” Rael said. “If you have the money, donate it. If you have time, donate your time. If you have a voice, use your voice. If you don’t have a voice, get one.”
Women in Gloucester County believe education, advocacy and determination is how women can make a difference globally and locally this International Women’s Day — and beyond. Hear more empowered voices from women in Gloucester County here.
