#BreaktheBias: Celebrating International Women’s Day locally and globally
“A Mind of Her Own: An Interdisciplinary Women Scholars Panel.” Photo courtesy of Lee University Media Services.
International Women’s Day, March 8, is a global holiday dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women. This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias, and focuses on issues of gender equity and breaking biases, stereotypes and discrimination.
Lee University will join the global celebration with a week of events for students, staff and the community from Feb. 28 to March 3. The week of events, planned by Lee’s Cultural Diversity Committee, will include special lectures, chapel services, a faculty appreciation reception, a performance and a poster competition.
A few events include:
Student poster session on Wednesday, March 2 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in the Science and Math Complex
Faculty and Staff Reception on Wednesday, March 2 from 4-5 p.m. in the Science and Math Complex
Special chapel service featuring Casey Cole on Thursday, March 3 at 10:45 a.m.
Concert featuring the works of female composers and poets on Thursday, March 3 at 4:15 p.m. in Pangle Hall
Art Exhibition in the Squires Library on display from Feb. 4 until March 23.
“Because IWD typically falls during Lee’s spring break, we like to celebrate together as a school the week before,” said Julie Burchfield, Lee’s International Women’s Week subcommittee chair and distance learning librarian. “We’ve been holding this celebration for at least 12 years now, and it’s wonderful to highlight both the struggles and accomplishments of women through so many different events.”
The IWD website features a list of global events taking place all day on Tuesday, March 8, both in-person and virtually.
Salesforce, a cloud-based software company, will host a webinar featuring various female speakers in marketing and executive consultants.
According to the IWD website, Salesforce will host conversations to teach other women how to:
Motivate and inspire teams to achieve growth
Lead and adapt through constant change
Build a culture of inclusivity and empowerment
Support and show up for your community
Volunteers in Columbia will host a virtual interview with Andrea Gonzalez Duarte, founder of Box2Grow, “a boxing program that provides young women between the ages of seven and 71 with the tools to improve their self-confidence and self-esteem.”
“There is no equality between men and women here. There is a macho culture. Sexual violence is common,” Duarte said about the culture in Colombia. “I want to give women the tools to stand up for themselves. I want to plant that seed in their heads.”
According to the IWD campaign, bias, whether conscious or not, can make it difficult for women to move ahead. This year’s movement promotes taking action against this bias, rather than just being aware of its existence.
“While it's vital to recognize the achievements of women, these celebrations cannot serve as proof that we’ve reached our goal,” said CEO of John Deere company John May. “Instead, they should serve as an inspiring reminder of how much further we must go to reach gender equality and how much more we will accomplish when we do.”
Like May, many leaders and executives across the world have shared statements supporting women’s advancement. The full list can be found here.
Every Lee IWW event is open to the community and to all students. For more information about the #BreakTheBias campaign and to find an event near you, visit the IWD theme site.
