"The problem of sexism on college campuses is toxic and terrifying."

These are the words of Paige McKinsey, a 2011 graduate of Pleasant Valley High School."By the time a woman enters an American college until the day she graduates, she has a 20 percent chance of being sexually assaulted, "said Vice President Joseph Biden in a December 2014 article in The Washington Post.In simple numbers, one in five women is assaulted or raped on a college campus in this country.In 2014, 12 million women were enrolled in colleges and in universities, so if this statistic continues to hold true, 2,400,000 of them will be assaulted before they earn their degrees."The numbers are alarming and we must also consider that many of these types of assaults go unreported," said McKinsey, who recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mary Washington in Virginia with degrees in international affairs and gender studies.A passion for activismThe 22-year-old resident of Effort lives with her mother, Joan; her father, Malcolm; and her sister, Diane.Her interest in social attitudes toward women attracted outside attention while she was a student at Pleasant Valley. Her presentation of her senior project about the education of young women in developing countries was attended by professors from Cedar Crest College and East Stroudsburg University, as well as by a representative from the Peace Corps. Her forum raised $500, which was donated to Room to Read, a nonprofit educational organization for developing nations.Once at UMW, she became a member of Feminists United, a "daughter" club of the mother organization, the Feminist Majority Foundation of Arlington, Virginia. In her senior year, she was elected to the executive board as president."We are an activist educational group," she says. "We have held campus protests and rallies in order to attain resources for sexual assault victims and to bring an awareness of the need to change the attitudes of sexism."In March, McKinsey led the March to End the Rape Culture. One hundred and fifty faculty, staff, and students held a campus rally to demand that the administration take action to help prevent assaults on women. They called for establishing hotline contact numbers, posting campus alerts, and setting up a safe haven for women who feel threatened or have been victimized on campus.Backlash and murderMcKinsey's and her club members' voices have not been well-received by everyone. Her group alerted the administration about a traditional chant from the men's rugby team that included direct references to sexually assaulting and even killing women. Some players claimed it was just a joke, but their behavior resulted in an indefinite suspension of the team by the school administration."Initially, the administration did not want to take action," says McKinsey. "We had also requested mandated classes about sexual assault for the entire team."A backlash against Feminist United was almost immediate. Multiple threats against McKinsey and other members were made on Yik Yak, a social media site by "anonymous" bloggers.McKinsey and her group members were verbally harassed in what she described as a "sexually hostile environment." One of the threats was a direct warning that UMW would be subject to a Virginia Tech type massacre in which 32 students were killed and 17 others were wounded by an armed intruder. The threatening blogger was later identified and apprehended by authorities.Then, in April, Grace Rebecca Mann, an outspoken feminist and a junior at UMW who had been sexually assaulted as a freshman, was murdered off campus. The alleged killer, a former member of the school's rugby team, has been arrested and charged with the crime."It's certainly scary," she says. "I have to rely on our support system. We believe the rugby team is a reflection of a large part of the patriarchal society we live in. We understand too, that a lot of people don't want to get involved because it's an environment of fear. But we know what we are doing is good and necessary for the protection and respect of women on every American college campus."No regrets and strong supportMcKinsey, at age 11, was introduced to the cause for women's rights by her mother, Joan, who took her to participate in the 2004 March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., that was attended by 1 million people."My mother is an incredibly strong woman," says McKinsey. "She and my family have been very supportive of me, especially since I have been the target of hate groups. My Aunt Kitty, who works for he United Nations as a resource for human rights, has also had a very positive influence upon me."Paige's father, Malcolm, who applauds his daughter's stand in the face of adversity, calls current attitudes about sexism, "a crisis of conscience.""Our society has moved appropriately toward the rejection of racism, but not many speak out against sexism," he says. "There still exists the belief that boys will be boys and girls should be quiet.""Of course, I was extremely frightened for Paige's safety, especially when she was confronted by members of the rugby team in the cafeteria one day," says Joan. "She handled herself with class and confidence in her beliefs."Despite the threats and the presence of violence, McKinsey says she has no regrets about choosing UMW as her undergraduate college, yet she remains disappointed in the school's reluctance to take actions that would help prevent assaults on women."I have gotten a great education here," she says. "When we met with the administration about our concerns for our safety on campus; however, we came away feeling they need a change in their ideology."Inaction promotes ignoranceMcKinsey says that although the school officials at UMW told her group that they were fully aware of the hostile environment on campus and that "safety is our most important concern," they have yet to take appropriate action to ensure the protection of female students."On behalf of the Feminist Majority Foundation, we have filed an official complaint against the administration," says McKinsey."They have failed to comply with Title IX, a U.S. education amendment which states that no person in the United States can be subjected to discrimination while a member of an educational institution. School officials have not even allowed a student question and answer public forum about these critical issues."Completing her education at UMW with multiple honors should have brought a cause for happiness and celebration for Paige's parents when they were present at her recent graduation."My husband and I were so angry when we attended Paige's graduation ceremony," says Joan. "It's criminal that they did nothing to protect her and their own female students during this past year."Paige McKinsey's efforts have drawn national interest. She recently was a keynote speaker at the Feminists Majority National Conference.When asked to explain why there remains so much discrimination against women in this country, she says that its roots are buried in a culture of ignorance."Many people do not know that feminism is about educating those who do not understand that women deserve the same dignity afforded to men. We try to open people's eyes to what victims and survivors of assaults have endured. College should be a place to come to learn, and above all, a place for students to be safe."She adds, "Nonviolent communication and education are the keys to ending the culture of rape and everyone must be held accountable."Courage across the continentMcKinsey will soon embark as a new member of the Peace Corps to Togo, a small country in West Africa where she will spend 27 months in a community that has, in her words, "a lot of gender issues, especially with newborn care.""It's very sad to say that I feel Paige will be much safer in West Africa because of the environment established by the Peace Corps than she was on the campus of UMW," says her father."I am so happy that Paige can now put this year behind her and move on," Joan says. "I am so proud of her, Her voice and her actions are going to make this a better world someday."In the face of fear and violent danger, Paige McKinsey carries the torch, not only for victims like Grace Rebecca Mann, but also for every woman who walks onto an American college campus and to everywhere in this world where there exists gender inequality. She remains driven by her faith in humanity and her belief that someday everyone will come to realize that what she speaks is a basic truth for all human rights."No one has more inherent worth than anyone else."