The following is a news release from Texas Tech University:
Texas Tech University and Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) are hosting Women’s Empowerment (WE) Week Monday (Nov. 13) through Thursday (Nov. 16). The theme of the week is “Lift as You Climb,” a nod to early civil rights leader and founder of the National Association of Colored Women Mary Church Terrell.
“WE Connect: Lift as You Climb” incorporates a number of departments and organizations offering a multitude of events. Opportunities include a mentorship dinner, spoken word performance, online and face-to-face forums and a pledge campaign.
Women’s empowerment is a universal issue and has become a significant topic of discussion in development and economics.
Tricia Earl, unit supervisor and academic advisor for Women’s & Gender Studies, said empowering girls and women is important to economic growth, political stability and social transformations.
“As women leaders and engaged academics, we recognize our responsibility to reach out to other women to move forward in our universal goal to reach full parity,” Earl said. “Lift as you climb is heavy lifting. It requires focus, strength, resilience and commitment to a larger, shared goal.”
Earl added men and women with assets are stepping up to increase visibility of gender inequality, and pioneers on campus recognize the weight men carry in the fight for parity.
“By offering a film screening about pressures boys and young men face by media and their peer groups, participants will understand the patriarchal construction of masculinity and its consequences,” Earl said.
Events throughout the week include:
- WE Connect: Resource Fair, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13); Student Union Building (SUB) Red Raider Lounge; A number of departments and student organizations will host this come-and-go fair for faculty, staff and students to find out more about how to get involved on campus.
- WE Connect: Women’s Power Hour, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14); Table in the SUB across from Copy Mail; WGS hosts this come-and-go event.
- WE Connect: Mentor Dinner, 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14); Lubbock Women’s Club, 2020 Broadway; Hosted by Risk Intervention & Safety Education (RISE), the Women’s Leadership Initiative, the Gender Equity Council, PanHellenic and WGS.
- #IStillNeedTitleIX Online Discussion, 2-4 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 15); WGS will host an online discussion via Twitter regarding the 45th anniversary of Title IX. Follow along and participate using the hashtag or following @TTUWGS.
- Film Screening, 7 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 15); Chitwood/Weymouth Classroom; University Student Housing hosts a film screening of “The Mask You Live In.” The film highlights the ways in which male-identified individuals can be allies for female empowerment, bringing attention to the ways in which sexism negatively impacts people of all genders, and discussing how everyone can move toward developing healthy gender identity and promoting “enlightened masculinity.” Pizza and popcorn will be provided.
- “Spoken Word: Lift as You Climb”, 6:30 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 16); SUB Barnes & Noble; The Women’s Leadership Initiative hosts a spoken word event that includes different styles of poetry readings, prose monologues and other sketches.
- Weeklong events include a collection drive at Chitwood/Weymouth, inspiration boards at Chitwood and Horn/Knapp and an online pledge by “The Representation Project.”
Supporters for the week include: the Gender Equity Council, Texas Tech Triota Gamma Nu, RISE, the Women’s Leadership Institute, Residence Life Social Justice Education, Texas Tech Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and Texas Tech Alpha Omega Epsilon.
For more information on this event, visit here. For more information on WGS and other events, visit here.
CONTACT:
Tricia Earl, unit supervisor, Women’s & Gender Studies, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-4335 or patricia.a.earl@ttu.edu
(News release from Texas Tech University)