Women's participation on the Undergraduate Council has increased this year, but some female members say it can still be difficult to make their voices heard within the council.

When Elizabeth A. Haynes '98 resigned her position as chair of the Undergraduate Council's Student Affairs Committee (SAC) last fall, she cited a complaint often repeated by critics of the council.

According to Haynes, it is sometimes difficult to be a woman and a leader on the council.

At the time, Haynes said she left the committee because of a "hostile environment."

"[My behavior] was seen in a very different light [than men's], somewhat aggressive, somewhat bitchy," Haynes says now.

"When a woman walks onto the council floor, she is judged," she adds.

Other members express concern about the respect accorded to women on the council.

"It is a constant challenge to present ourselves in a manner in which we are taken seriously," says council member E. Michelle Drake '97-'96.

Some representatives also say the atmosphere of council debates intimidates female speakers.

According to council Secretary Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, whispering and frequent interruptions during council meetings often discourage female speakers.

"It's not to say that [simply] because there's a woman in front of the council that that's why people aren't paying attention," Rawlins says. "But in general, she is not accorded the respect that men get."

Women on the council say they are concerned about the respect that they receive, but also say the council's environment is not nearly as hostile as it used to be.

In fact, during the 1992 to 1993 academic year gender relations on the council degenerated to an all time low. Out of 88 council members, only 21 were women.

After 10 women on the council met to discuss gender issues in the fall of 1993, then council vice-chair David L. Hanselman Jr. '94 criticized their meeting as "sour grapes" and urged the women to "devote less time [to] whining and more time [to] working on constructive council business."

The ensuing uproar over gender relations and women's role on the council divided men and women for years to come.