With the departure of February, March brings upon us a refreshing wave of spring fever, carefully plotted basketball brackets, parades smothered in green, and a plethora of religious holidays. In the midst of all this chaotic excitement, it’s important for us to remember what else is woven into the fabric of March: Women’s History Month! While the whole month is a celebration for women everywhere, March 8 is especially significant, with the observation of International Women’s Day. This holiday is meant to celebrate women and their accomplishments, while also highlighting related issues faced by women across the globe.
WOMEN’S herstory MONTH EVENTS @ The women’s center
In the spirit of this month-long celebration, I wanted to spotlight none other than UConn’s very own Women’s Center! Located on the fourth floor of the Student Union, the Women’s Center is one of UConn’s seven cultural centers and has a variety of events, programs, and resources available for its students. In the spirit of Women’s Herstory Month (as commemorated at UConn), there will be a kick-off event on Wednesday, March 6 in the Student Union Theatre at 6 p.m. This event, “Revolutionary Love: The Call of Our Times,” will be co-hosted by the Asian American Cultural Center, highlighting guest speaker Valarie Kaur, a civil rights leader and author. There will also be a book sale and signing immediately following the event!
Just two days later, on Friday, March 8, the Women’s Center will also be holding a celebration for International Women’s Day. Between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., there will be performers, snacks, and more (such as flowers for all!) in the Student Union. Later this month, on Wednesday, March 20, there will be an in-person discussion (also accessible via Zoom) centered around reproductive justice from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is going to focus specifically on racial disparities within the healthcare field, as well as highlighting Connecticut-specific and student-based issues in regard to reproductive care access. To cap off Women’s Herstory Month, there will be a watch party and discussion for the 2004 documentary Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed in the Women’s Center on Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. This film highlights the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to ever be elected to Congress and run for such a position. Anybody is welcome to celebrate with the Women’s Center at these functions this month, and more information is available about all of these events on the Women’s Center online calendar!
WOMEN’S CENTER STUDENT GROUPS
While March is undoubtedly a uniquely exciting month for this cultural center, there are also several other offerings and programs running throughout the year that any interested students are encouraged to get involved in. In particular, there are various ongoing student groups that meet throughout the year; these include Between Women, In-Power, Greeks Against Sexual Assault, and the Men’s Project.
Between Women is a discussion group aimed at providing a safe space for any queer (or questioning) women who are looking to discuss their personal stories and feelings with those who have had similar experiences. Different topics are discussed (including movie nights!) throughout the semester, with weekly in-person meetings on Wednesdays from 6-8 in the Women’s Center Multi-Purpose Room, which is located in Room 417 of the Student Union’s fourth floor.
In-Power is another student-led group that meets weekly, this one dedicated to assisting survivors of sexual assault, stalking, and/or intimate partner violence. Participants of all genders are welcome to join the group at any point in their own healing process, with the group intent of helping these individuals take control of their stories and providing help with various methods of self-care to help aid in this journey. In-Power meetings are held in person on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Greeks Against Sexual Assault (GASA) partners with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to lead discussions of issues pertaining to rape culture within college communities, including how Greek organizations can play a role in perpetuating these circumstances. With the intent to create a safer environment for all students on campus, this group focuses on training members of fraternities and sororities on how to help combat these issues by advocating for change within their organizations. This includes modeling productive bystander involvement, challenging the standards that preserve gender-based violence, and more. Applications are open to Greek-affiliated students, with weekly meetings this semester at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday in the Women’s Center.
The Men’s Project veers from other women-focused programs, as it encourages its male-identifying participants to combat the detrimental gender roles that contribute to issues of gender-based violence. Similar to GASA, this group works to model effective modes of bystander intervention, with weekly meetings focused on subject matter such as masculinities and gender socialization. More information about this project, as well as each of these groups mentioned above, is available on the “Ongoing Groups” page of the Women’s Center website!
WRAP-UP & CONTACT INFO
These four programs only begin to cover the scope of the initiatives that the Women’s Center works towards all year round. In particular, with Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April, there will be upcoming announcements about related events, resources, etc. that will be open to all students. Be sure to follow @uconnwomenscenter on Instagram for the latest updates, and happy Women’s Herstory Month to all the lovely ladies out there!
Contact Emails:
Women’s Center: WomensCenter@uconn.edu
Between Women: BetweenWomen@uconn.edu
In-Power: In-Power@uconn.edu
Greeks Against Sexual Assault: GASA@uconn.edu
Men’s Project: MensProject@uconn.edu