UWomen Listserv
Hours for Spring Break are:
Friday, 3/7 closing at 5 p.m.
Sunday, 3/9 closed
Monday 3/10 to Friday 3/14 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, 3/16 closed
Upcoming Women’s Center Events!
March 19: LUNAFEST!
March 20: Am I A Dirty Word? Feminist Art Show
March 20: Gender Specific Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS and other STD
March 20: Volunteers Needed – Pay Equity Programming – First Planning Meeting
March 26: (Register by 3/21) $mart $tart Workshop
March 21 Deadline: Women of Color Recognition Awards
Ongoing Groups
Wednesdays, 8 pm: Between Women
Thursdays, 4:30 to 6 pm: Stronger
Tuesdays, 7 pm: UConn Men’s Project
On-Campus Events
March 21 & April 15: OMIA Collaborative Symposia Series: Engendering Race & Class in a Globalizing World: Transnational Perspectives
Off-Campus Events
March 10: Hope for the Overactive Bladder
March 25: Women and Colon Cancer
April 2-5: 9th Annual White Privilege Conference (WPC9)
PLEN’S 20th Annual Women & Congress Seminar, Washington, DC
SESSION 1: March 3-7, 2008, SESSION 2: March 10-14, 2008
May 27-Aug 1, 2008: PLEN’s Women and Public Policy Internship Semester in Washington D.C.
April 11-12: Race, Sex, Power: New Movements in Black and Latina/o Sexualities
Announcements
Mondays, 8 pm: Be a Leader… with Feminism: Join UConn Triota!
Mondays, 7 pm: Join the Abolition Movement with UConn Love146
Looking for New Members! The Young Women’s Leadership Program
UConn's Counseling and Mental Health Services is pleased to introduce The Virtual Counseling Center.
Film Your Issue 2008 Competition Launches ….
Two minute “issue films” …. Open to everyone 14 to 24 globally ….
Call for Proposals: First (NWGN) Conference 2008
Nepali Women Building Bridges: Advocacy, Collaborations, and Research
March 10 Deadline: Gail Burns-Smith Dare to Dream Fund
News & Current Events
This newsletter is a way to share information about issues, events, and activities on women's issues at UConn, locally, and internationally. Visit our new location on the 4th floor of the Student Union!
UWOMEN-L includes information and links to departments, offices, and other units of the University, as well as those of off-campus entities. Information in this bulletin is made available for informational and educational purposes only. To the extent that space is available, the Women’s Center welcomes student organizations, groups, community groups and organizations to submit entries for purposes consistent with our mission. The Women’s Center reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the items to be included in our weekly message.
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Upcoming Women’s Center Events
LunaFest
A Celebration of International Women’s Day
Wednesday, March 19, 7 pm, SU Theatre
Filled with stories of reflection and whimsy, hope and humor, grace and perseverance, LUNAFEST films are renowned for celebrating the talents and stories of women. Our films include many off the traditional “festival circuit.” Collectively, LUNAFEST films captivate audiences, compel dialogue and arm those who participate with both the knowledge and the motivation to make a difference in their communities.
Proceeds will benefit The Breast Cancer Fund and the Women’s Center, Asian American Cultural Center, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, African American Cultural Center, International Center, and the Rainbow Center.
Tickets for the filmfest are $5 for students and $7 for staff, faculty, and community members and on sale now at the Ticket Booth at the Student Union Information Desk. Reception to follow.
Am I A Dirty Word? Feminist Art Show
7:00 pm, SU Art Gallery
Beth Barbeau, curator, describes the show this way, “Feminism has become a dirty word in the minds of many contemporary Americans, including many educated, liberal, progressive women and men. I do not believe the claims from popular culture that feminism is dead or has out-grown its usefulness. I know that I am not the only person out there who still claims the word ’feminist’ as their own and finds power and inspiration for their work through this identity. For myself, and the other women struggling through this, I needed a context of other artists who come to their work from a similar place. This show has grown out of my desire to gather these artists together and give them a space to show how feminism has informed and inspired their artwork. The work shown is the result of critical engagement of feminism. I wanted to give young women the opportunity to show how they take feminism into their work and deal with issues such as sexuality, body image, gender and identity. Each participant has self-identified as a feminist and chosen a piece of work they consider to be informed by their feminism. By putting our work out there, we are engaging in a tradition of feminist artists/activists sharing themselves and their stories in an effort to initiate a conversation about issues we consider very important and very personal. We hope you enjoy the show!”
For information, Beth Barbeau: elizabeth.barbeau@uconn.edu
Gender Specific Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS and other STDs
Thursday, March 20, from 3 to 4 p.m.
The Southeast HIV and AIDS Research and Evaluation Project (SHARE) at the Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP) and The Women’s Center will present a talk on gender-specific approaches to preventing HIV/ AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The presentation by Nabila El-Bassel, professor of social work at Columbia University, will be held in Student Union Room 421G (The Women Center’s Program Room) in recognition of National Women and Girls’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
El-Bassel has devoted the past 17 years to designing and testing HIV prevention strategies in clinical trials for women, men and couples recruited from drug treatment, primary care, criminal justice and international settings.
At Columbia University, she directs the Social Intervention Group, a multidisciplinary research center on HIV and drug abuse, and the recently established Columbia University Global Health Research Center based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which serves countries in Central Asia. El-Bassel also directs the National Institute of Mental Health’s HIV training program for racial ethnic minority researchers.
Discussion will follow the talk and refreshments will be served.
Volunteers
Needed - Pay Equity Programming
First Planning Meeting
Thursday March 20, 6 pm, Women’s Center
For those who are interested in raising awareness around and eliminating the gender wage gap. Women are paid on average only about 77% of what men are paid; for women of color, the gap is even wider. Recent research shows that just one year out of college, women working full time already earn less than their male colleagues, even when they work in the same field. Volunteers would plan outreach activities, staff interactive tables, and assist with publicity and promotion.
March 26, 6 pm, Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center
Negotiating salaries is a challenge for women at all stages of their careers, as women are less likely than men to ask for what they want. The WAGE Project will conduct a 3 hour workshop for juniors and seniors. This workshop is highly interactive, including a role-playing exercise to enable students to assess how well they understand the principles of salary negotiation presented in the workshop.
The $tart $mart Workshop will cover the following topics: The personal consequences of the gender wage gap: what a $1.2 million loss over one’s working lifetime means. Resources for benchmarking reasonable salaries and benefits: learn about job titles, their functions and salary ranges, the impact of market realities on salaries; compare skills and accomplishments to job requirements and market to target a realistic salary range. Negotiation: how to aim high and be realistic; practice negotiation through role play exercises. Know your bottom line: develop a "bare bones" budget to pay rent, buy groceries, repay student loans, and other basic expenses.
This is a free workshop, but registration is required by 3/21.
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100 Years of Women Scholarship Award
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REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS - WOMEN OF COLOR RECOGNITION AWARDS
The Women's Center Women of Color Events Committee, in accordance with the overall mission of the Women's Center, is responsible for sponsoring events that bring together faculty and staff women of color. We are asking your assistance in recognizing and honoring women of color who have made a significant contribution to the University of Connecticut.
Candidates may be nominated for excellence based on distinguishing qualities/characteristics and achievements and as determined through their work with others. Please include specific situations in which you observed the nominee or provide a relevant anecdote that could help to elucidate why they have been nominated. Nominations should include evidence based on, but not limited to:
· Distinguished service/contributions to the University of Connecticut
(for example: participation on committees, mentoring, leadership roles)
· Academic or career achievements
· Community service/Positive impact on community
· Commitment to enhancing quality of life for and/or service as a role model for Women of Color
Click on the following link, http://www.womenscenter.uconn.edu/ to access the nomination form beginning Wednesday, March 5. Please use the format of this form when submitting a nomination (add additional pages if needed). Other forms will not be accepted. Please print the form and mail to: Kathy Fischer, Women’s Center, Unit 3118.
The recipients of the awards and all other nominees will be acknowledged at the Women of Color Recognition Awards Luncheon to be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2008, in the Student Union Ballroom from 11:30 am to 1 pm. The recipients of the award will receive their awards at the luncheon.
Nomination forms will be carried over from previous submissions for two years (2005 - 2006 & 2006 - 2007) for the Women of Color Recognition Awards; however, resubmissions, and self-nominations are also welcomed. The award recipients have to be employed at the University for a minimum of twelve months and students are ineligible for this award.
Your time and effort are appreciated.
Deadline for nomination(s): March 21, 2008.
Ongoing Groups
On-campus Events
OMIA Collaborative Symposia Series
Engendering Race & Class in a Globalizing World: Transnational Perspectives
Dr. Joyce Hamilton Henry
Adjunct Professor, University of Hartford
“Between Two Worlds: Issues of Race, Ethnicity and Identity”
Friday, March 21, 2008
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Konover Auditorium, Dodd Center
Faculty & Student Focus Group discussion
Friday, March 21, 2008
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: The Rainbow Center, Student Union Room 403
Joyce Hamilton Henry received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut, a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, and a doctorate degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She was the former Director of the Office of Multicultural Programs at the University of Hartford. In that capacity, she developed and implemented programs to assist with the recruitment and retention of students of color and to address broader issues of diversity and inclusion on the college campus. Since 1988, Joyce has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hartford in African American Studies and the Departments of Sociology and Psychology. She has presented numerous papers regionally, nationally, and internationally on race and ethnic relations, Caribbean immigrants, cross cultural counseling and supervision, consulted with many organizations, and has conducted numerous workshops regarding workplace diversity. She is published and is known nationally and internationally for her contributions in the field of social work. In June 2001, she was the recipient of the National Association of Social Workers (Connecticut Chapter) Social Worker of the Year Award. Joyce is a staunch advocate of issues pertaining to immigrants and is co-chair of the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition. Joyce Hamilton Henry is committed to racial, social, and economic justice.
Dr. Hamilton Henry is the second of three speakers in this symposia series for Spring 2008. Additional speakers will be on campus in February and April - please visit www.womens.studies.uconn.edu for more information.
Co-Sponsored by: Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Institute for African-American Studies, Institute for Asian-American Studies, Institute for Puerto Rican & Latino Studies, Women’s Studies Program
& the Office of the Vice Provost for Multicultural and International Affairs
University of Connecticut Creative Writing Program of the English Department
Visiting Authors, Spring 2008
Off-campus Events
Hope for the Overactive Bladder
Monday, March 10, noon to 1 p.m.
Henry Low Learning Center, UConn Health Center
Guest Speakers:
Phillip P. Smith, M.D., Department of Surgery Normal life events like
childbearing or aging can be stressful on the bladder control systems. Common
deviations from ideal body maintenance make it more difficult for the body to
repair damage caused by these life events. The end result is the inability to
normally store and eliminate urine. Learn about overactive bladder syndrome,
its causes and evaluation, and old and new treatments.
The lecture can be viewed live at www.celebrate.uchc.edu/webcast, where you can also access archived webcasts.
Thursday, March 13, 6 to 7 p.m.
Onyiuke Dining Room, UConn Health Center
Speaker: Ursula Steadman, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology Most women will experience menopausal symptoms, but the level of severity varies. Learn what to expect once menopause begins, the effects on emotional and physical health, common symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes, and ways to cope with these symptoms.
Tuesday, March 25, 6 to 7:15 p.m.
Henry Low Learning Center, UConn Health Center
Speakers: Joseph Anderson, M.D., Colon Cancer Prevention Program; Bruce Brenner, M.D., assistant professor of surgery Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States in both men and women. In honor of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Anderson will discuss the unique challenges regarding women and the colorectal cancer screening. He will also present his research findings, which include the prototype scope that he helped develop, and examination of risk factors in women.
Dr. Brenner will discuss the surgical treatments of colon cancer.
9th Annual White Privilege Conference (WPC9)
April 2-5, 2008
This powerful conference, addressing critical issues of white privilege, diversity, multicultural education, and leadership will be held at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel, Springfield, Massachusetts, April 2-5, 2008. Please plan to support and participate in this dynamic gathering of social change educators. Registration begins January 22, 2008. For more information go to http://www.uccs.edu/wpc
Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN)
20th Annual Women & Congress Seminar, Washington, DC
The Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) is thrilled to announce the 20th annual Women and Congress Seminar.
PLEN is offering TWO sessions of this week-long seminar so all interested students can participate:
SESSION 1: March 3-7, 2008
SESSION 2: March 10-14, 2008
The Women and Congress Seminar is specifically tailored towards students interested in the role women play in the lawmaking process.
Participants in this year’s program will have the opportunity to:
- Meet and discuss current issues with Congresswomen, members of congressional committees, legislative staff and representatives of groups that lobby Congress.
- Participate in a hearing simulation on a hot issue debated by Congress after attending committee hearings and sessions in the House and Senate.
- Discover how to get your foot in the door on Capitol Hill.
Through committee hearings, discussions and briefings, students increase their understanding of public policy and Congressional procedure.
Students supplement their seminar experience with field visits, observations on the Hill and discussions on policy issues with women leaders.
Recent seminar speakers include:
Senator Susan Collins
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Lisa Murkowski
Congresswoman Lois Capps
Congresswoman Judy Biggert
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Amy Walter, Editor, U.S. House, The Cook Political Report; Analyst, CNN Lisalyn Jacobs, Vice President, Government Relations, Legal Momentum Cindy Hall, President, Women's Policy, Inc.
The registration deadline is fast approaching, so encourage your students to secure their spot in the program early.
Online registration is quick and easy via PLEN’s website at http://www.plen.org/congress_reg.html!
If you have any questions, or would like additional information about this program, please don’t hesitate to contact us at plen@plen.org or 202-872-1585.
The PLEN staff is always happy to answer questions about our programs.
MEDIA MADNESS: THE IMPACT OF SEX, VIOLENCE AND COMMERCIAL CULTURE ON ADULTS, CHILDREN AND SOCIETY
Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) Women and Public Policy Internship Semester in Washington, D.C.
Race, Sex, Power: New Movements in Black and Latina/o Sexualities
April 11-12, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
http://condor.depaul.edu/~rsp2008/info.html
Registration is now open!!!
Faculty from nine
universities and colleges will hold the largest ever conference on black and
Latina/o sexuality on April 11-12 at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"Race, Sex, Power: New Movements in Black and Latina/o Sexualities,"
the culmination of more than two years of planning, will bring together
academics, activists, and artists to address topics ranging from intimacy and
desire to HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy to humor and Hip Hop. Organizer Cathy
Cohen, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, calls the
conference “a bold effort to rethink what sexuality means for the two largest
racial minorities in the US.” Dr. Jocelyn Elders, the former United States
Surgeon General appointed by President Clinton, will open the conference on
Friday morning, April 11.
Sponsored by
the participating universities with major funding from the Ford and Arcus
Foundations, "Race, Sex, Power" aims to set a new agenda for
studying, organizing, writing, and developing policy about sexuality. Juan
Battle, professor of Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center, argues that the
conference is not only ambitious, but timely, as sexuality is central to
current political debates. "Same-sex marriage, abstinence education, and
abortion rights are all at the forefront.” Marysol Asencio, associate professor
of Family Studies/Puerto Rican and Latino/a Studies from the University of
Connecticut at Storrs, adds that the demographic shifts in the US mean that
“sexuality has to be confronted from the perspective of race, not merely to
challenge the pathologies historically assigned to Latina/o and Black
Americans, but to explore the dynamism and heterogeneity within these
populations as well.”
The
conference program takes sexuality and race in all their complexity. Panels and
speakers selected from hundreds of submissions will cover, among other things:
media, migration and immigration, religion and spirituality, sexual tourism,
reproductive rights, transgender, community organizing, gay and lesbian civil
rights, poverty, social class, age, and the sex industry. Within the wide
variety of approaches in both method and topic, a key idea emerges. Sexuality
can only be imagined in the context of communities that are embedded in a
national and international context of changing sexual mores and deeply
entrenched habits of thought and representation.
One of the
hallmarks of this conference, Cohen stresses, is its emphasis on collaboration
and inclusiveness. The complex coordination of nine institutions permitted
organizers to draw on a pool of expertise that no one college or university
could hope to contain. The unusual blend of research, activism, and art
encourages all participants to think outside their personal assumptions and the
conventions of their fields. Finally, the organizers hope to draw an audience
of specialists and non-specialists alike. Asencio reminds us that knowledge
about sexuality is hardly confined to those who make a profession of its study.
Everyone, Asencio argues, is engaged in a critique of current sexual conventions.
The conference is simply the space where such knowledge can be shared,
rethought, and transformed.
LOCATION: UIC FORUM, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
SPONSORING UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES:
Chicago State University
Columbia College Chicago
DePaul University
The Graduate Center, CUNY
Northwestern University
Roosevelt University
University of Chicago
University of Connecticut at Storrs
University of Illinois, Chicago
Conference Website: http://condor.depaul.edu/~rsp2008/info.html
For more information, contact: racesexpower08@gmail.com
Join UConn Iota Iota Iota, Where Every Woman’s Step Counts!
Join the Abolition Movement with UConn Love146
Membership in Young Women’s Leadership Program
The Young Women's Leadership Program of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women is now accepting members. Members of the program must be between the ages of 18-35 (which is our targeted age range) and must provide an email address. To make sign up even easier we have set up our website to accept new members. If you know anyone interested please forward them this email.
To sign up, simply go to http://www.cga.ct.gov/pcsw/YWLP/Pages/ywlp_main.asp#Join_Us!
Film Your Issue 2008 Competition Launches ….
Two minute “issue films” …. Open to everyone 14 to 24 globally ….
Deadline April 14, 2008
Prizes include Internships at USA TODAY, The UNITED NATIONS, PBS’ P.O.V. Series …. $5,000 from The Gates Foundation …. Profile on MTV News …. AFI SILVERDOC Film / filmmaker presentation …. Entries distribution to 1,800 ASSOCIATED PRESS Online Video Network …. Winners broadcast on STARZ … Winner posted on homepage of MySPACE … Winners posted on AOL True Stories
The partners in this unprecedented global competition and outreach to young adults 14 to 24 include ASSOCIATED PRESS, USA TODAY, THE UNITED NATIONS, THE GATES FOUNDATION, NAACP, MTV, MYSPACE, AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE, ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, HUMANE SOCIETY, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS, P.O.V. ASCAP, INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ASSOCIATION.
The vision is to engage young adults in contemporary issues, find out what issues impact them, and encourage them to add their voices to the public dialogue and understand the power of every voice.
This year’s prizes for 2-minute “issue films” include
· internships at USA TODAY, The United Nations, The Humane Society and the award-winning PBS’ series P.O.V.
· a $5,000 college scholarship from The Gates Foundation
· a winner profiled on MTV News
· winners broadcast to the 30+ million viewers of Starz
· entries distributed by Associated Press to its 1,800 Online Video Network media outlets
· Film Presentation and VIP Pass – SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival
· winning film posted on homepage of MySpace
· Winning films posted on AOL True Stories
Everyone 14 to 24 is eligible. Deadline is April 14, 2008. Two minute length, maximum. Animated or live action. Any subject. Whatever burns for you.
Voting Period: April 21 to May 4, 2008. Winners announced May 6.
Visit www.filmyourissue.com. Register to enter and for news updates.
Nepali Women Building Bridges: Advocacy, Collaborations, and Research
Call for workshop proposals
NWGN will host the first ever Nepali Global Women conference on August 9th 2008. The purpose of this conference will be to create a dialogue on issues pertaining to women and women of Nepali origin. This will also be an opportunity to highlight NWGN mission and explore collaboration and partnerships with various organizations to increase access to resources for Nepali women.
Therefore we are pleased to announce the call for workshop proposals for our first NWGN conference: “Nepali Women Building Bridges: Advocacy, Collaborations, and Research.” All workshop proposals should reflect the theme of the conference.
Some ideas for proposals:
Advocacy
· Community organizing for advocacy which has made or could make significant positive change in the life of Nepali women in Nepal or abroad/ US
· Collaboration as a tool for advocacy and empowerment for Nepali battered women in US
Collaboration
· Any partnership programs that is making a difference in the lives of Nepali women either in Nepal or abroad/US
· Beyond boarders collaboration for Nepali women’s development
· Collaborations with South Asian Women’s Organizations (SAWOs)
Research
Issues of migrant Nepali women: rights and how to access the resources
Becoming and Being Intercultural: The Link between Personal Experience and Intercultural Leadership
Status of Nepali Women, in Nepal, in US.
The Handicraft Tradition
Nepali Women and Work
Nepali Women in Politics
Breaking the Culture of Silence: Domestic Violence and Nepali Women
Literacy/Access to Education
Health/Medicine
Nepali Women in Science and Math
Narratives of Nepali Women’s Leadership
Learning from our Daughters
Transformations in South Asian Religious Cultures
The proposals will be reviewed by the program subcommittee of the NWGN board. The proposals will be evaluated on the basis of its relevance to the Conference theme and mission of NWGN. (www.nepaliwomen.org)
NWGN will contact the authors of the selected workshops by 15th of June, 2008.
There is no monetary incentive for workshop presentation but the presenter will gain experience and the opportunity to present at the very First Nepali Women’s Conference outside of Nepal.
If you are interested to send in your proposal please fill out the form below and send it by May 15th 2008, electronically to,
Sushma Barakoti: conference2008@nepaliwomen.org
Gail Burns-Smith Dare to Dream Fund
The fund was originally established when Gail Burns-Smith, who had been CONNSACS' Executive Director for 22 years, retired. It was created to honor Gail's many contributions to sexual assault victims and her dedication to ending sexual violence. The intent of the award is to recognize an individual who shares Gail's dedication and whose work or study in the field of sexual violence most exemplifies Gail’s commitment to its public awareness, education, prevention and advocacy on behalf of individual sexual assault victims as well as via public policy advocacy.
Applications are due Monday, March 10th. A committee will then review all applications and select the recipient of the $1000 award.
To qualify for consideration of this award an applicant:
1. Must be a resident of Connecticut OR attending a Connecticut based school.
2. Must show paid or volunteer work experience in the field of women’s issues or sexual violence.
In selecting a recipient, the Committee will be guided by consideration of the following information to be provided by the applicant:
1. Active involvement in sexual assault awareness activities
2. Demonstrated leadership in the area of women’s issues, sexual violence prevention or advocacy, either on behalf of individual victims or via public policy advocacy.
3. Planned commitment to continuing work in the field of sexual violence prevention and/or advocacy, either on behalf of individual victims or via public policy advocacy.
