I've heard 'em do it

I've done some very fast typing and thinking this morning around the whole gender issue. I also have a difficulty because I have to refer to a certain group of people and the old terms are now offensive. My supervisor is very cheerful about using the old terms because he says it's historically accurate but whilst I don't want to go PC crazy I also don't want to be offensive. I think one reason I always disliked women's studies is that they seemed to be ghettoising women. Why do they need a separate department when they make up over 50% of the population? I know they'll need a separate department until all areas of culture studies are completely open to the female and male experience. Whilst men still dominate many departments and lecturers talk about the female experience as if women were an immigrant group making up 0.1% of the population (I've heard 'em do it) we need women's studies departments.