Former U.S. Treasurer Angela “Bay” Buchanan spoke Tuesday night about conservative women and students in politics.

The Luce Society hosted Buchanan in its very first meeting as a student organization.

Buchanan served as treasurer under former president Ronald Reagan and was the youngest person to serve in the position.

In her lecture, Buchanan touched upon conservative women’s issues on college campuses, such as not having “the right” to speak.

On college campuses specifically, conservatives, especially women, are targeted by the “war on women,” Buchanan said. The purpose of the war is to generate a fear among women, a concept that was “created by the left.”

The war on women includes things that are specific to women, such as the fear that birth control or the right to having an abortion would be taken away, Buchanan said.

Buchanan said she first learned about the war on women while working as a senior adviser on the Mitt Romney campaign when Romney was asked during a debate about taking away birth control. Romney said during the debate that taking away birth control was not on his agenda and was a non-issue.

“Women have the power to choose what they want to do with their lives,” Buchanan said. 

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Moreover, “groups that call themselves feminists” told women who were against Hillary Clinton in the last election that they were speaking against their own voice, Buchanan said. That, in itself, is “anti-women.”

Women need to stand up for themselves and make their own choices, Buchanan said. But, Buchanan feels that is not the goal of modern feminism.

“[Democrats] control, in essence, the universities,” Buchanan said.

When she was in college, Buchanan said, universities were “charged” with energy regarding the war and people on both sides of the political spectrum were expressing their views. 

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After the election, Buchanan was “stunned” by the fact that universities were allowing students to take off time because Clinton lost the election.

While calling someone who is conservative racist, xenophobic or any other name is not ideal, it’s still the person’s first amendment right, Buchanan said. Universities are taking away this right through their use of things such as safe spaces.

During her time in college, Buchanan said students were more involved and knowledgable in politics and were able to debate current topics.

“We need leaders in this country,” Buchanan said. “We need people who believe in something and are willing to fight for it.”