In celebration of the 100th annual International Women’s Day, the ASUO Women’s Center will host performances, speakers and exhibitions that address achievements and challenges of women around the world.
Blending music and dance entertainment with prominent speakers, the Women’s Center plans to broaden education on international affairs affecting women and spread awareness of ongoing issues such as abortion, human trafficking and immigration rights.
“The idea is recognizing a marker in history,” Women’s Center Director Brandy Ota said. “It’s marking not only the event, but marking the successes and challenges that women face today.”
Speakers will include a keynote speech from ecofeminist and environmental activist Vandana Shiva, along with presentations from
Slavery Still Exists Oregon, Mobility International USA and students from the International Cultural Service Project.
For the centennial, the Women’s Center is incorporating culturally diverse members of the campus community. This is a major difference from previous celebrations, when the Women’s Center relied more heavily on musical entertainment.
University anthropology professor Lamia Karim plans to speak about Muslim women’s education in South Asia, while Guadalupe Quinn, from the Amigos Multicultural Services Center, will speak on the immigration rights of women and children.
“We are trying to create an environment of cultural exchange between students and community and the performers,” said Vania Loredo, global feminist coordinator at the Women’s Center. “I want our audience to feel empowered and also aware about what is going on in the world around them.”
Loredo said the celebration’s performances will include a photography and dance presentation from the ICSP, showcasing respective countries. Students of the ICSP will also talk about specific issues that negatively impact women. Attending students will speak with their peers about similar values, ideas and problems encountered by women in different countries.
“We are trying to diversify our consciousness of what it means to be women in a broader perspective,” Loredo said.
University senior Jessica Rojas, a member of the Women’s Center, is attending the event to observe the cultural diversity of students. Rojas says the appeal of the celebration is highlighting stories of “different women from countries other than our own.” The idea of learning about contrasting feminist values, she says, allows women to speak truthfully about their issues.
“We can get an idea of who they are, their culture and what their country is like,” Rojas said. “We are embracing the solidarity, and we are all women.”
International Women’s Day focuses on the economic, political and social achievements of women in the past, present and future. The holiday has evolved from the celebration of radical changes to women’s rights, first observed in the early 1900s, to many countries holding events dedicated to inspiring and honoring women. In countries like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, it is observed as a national holiday.
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International Women’s Day celebrates hundredth birthday
Daily Emerald
March 1, 2011
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