At Winona State University, Panhellenic Association will host the Circle of Sisterhood. Through the Circle of Sisterhood, a self-defense class will be taught. Guest speaker Jen Zemke, a science professor at WSU, will be talking about the barriers women and girls face while trying to get an education, the lack of access to clean drinking water, and how the group she went to India with, Me to We, helped women gain some independence while respecting the culture. Since she attended the trip with Me to We to India, she has experienced these topics first-hand.
The Circle of Sisterhood Foundation will leverage the collective influence of sorority women to raise financial resources for entities around the world that are removing educational barriers for girls and women facing poverty and oppression. The Circle of Sisterhood is committed to long-term needs of individuals by providing resources a girl needs to get from elementary school to high school to college and/or professional school. They offer skills training to women who want a better quality of life for themselves and their families. The Circle of Sisterhood has given more than $481,000 to 21 countries on 4 continents. These countries include Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, USA, and Zambia. Five schools have been built and funded in Senegal and Nicaragua.
According to the Circle of Sisterhood, educated women earn 25% more income than non-educated women. When women earn an income, they reinvest over 90% into their families, breaking the poverty cycle. They’re also less likely to become victims of human trafficking, three times less likely to contract HIV, and more likely to pursue a trade or start a business. Even just one year of education beyond the average boosts a girl’s eventual wages by 10-20%.
For more information head to https://www.facebook.com/events/305820773116935/
Make a difference and join the fun at the Circle of Sisterhood event: Sunday, November 13 at 9 AM -12 PM in Haake Hall