Women's Week Informs, Empowers and Inspires Action

Monday, March 21, 2016 Women's Week Informs, Empowers and Inspires Action

Women's Week Wiki Warriors Edit-A-Thon
Photo by Bergen Johnson

More than 400 students, staff, faculty and community members participated in Women’s Week events. Hosted March 5 -18, 2016, the event included movie screenings, panel discussions, art exhibits, keynote lectures, athletic events and technology centered event – all centered around the mission of empowering women.

“I think it is important to spend time celebrating women and having women come together as a community and lift each other up rather than tear each other down. I feel that so many women feel isolated from other women in our society and Women’s Week gives women an opportunity to bond, celebrate our accomplishments, and empower each other,” said Rae Thomas, a senior psychology major and programming assistant in the Women’s Center.

A new event this year was the UNL Wiki Warriors Edit-A-Thon. This event taught women how to edit and create online articles from the women’s perspective. Only roughly 12 percent of the editors of Wikipedia are female, meaning the coverage of women’s contributions is limited. Over the course of the four-hour event, participants edited 51 articles to include women. Aspen Lincoln donated $5 to the YWCA Smart Girls Club for every entry completed, raising a total of $255.

“Through events like the Edit-A-Thon I have learned more about women’s experiences and how to empower women in the last two weeks than I have in my years here at school,” said Thomas.

To maximize resources and accomplish a week of such diverse activities, the Women’s Center partnered with more than 27 campus entities and local agencies. Some of the campus partnerships included a guest curated event at the Sheldon Art Museum, a hiking event with the Campus Recreation Outdoor Adventures Center, a panel discussion on sexual health and wellness with the University Health Center, and film screenings cosponsored by OASIS and the University Program Council.

“I feel fortunate and proud to have gotten to participate in Women's Week with UPC. The Hunting Ground film led to an amazing discussion on sexual assault, an issue that is pertinent to all college campuses. It’s reassuring and inspirational to see that UNL is a step above things we saw,” said Abby Garden, a freshman global student major and liaison for University Programming Council to the Women’s Center.

The week culminated on March 17 with the Women’s History Month Banquet hosted at the Champions Club. Sophomore English major Danielle Young and Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Mark Askren received the CCSW Award for Outstanding Contributions to Women and numerous individuals were recognized as Women of Character, Courage and Commitment Nominees.

Organizers of the Women's Center Wiki Warriors Edit-A-Thon
Organizers of the Women's Center Wiki Warriors Edit-A-Thon donate $255 to YWCA Smart Girls Club. Photo by Bergen Johnson
More News About:
Students Student Involvement Women's Center Faculty Diversity and Inclusion OASIS