International Women’s Day—a day meant to celebrate the achievements of women and recognize the gender-related bias of society—was on Tuesday, March 8. University departments and student groups hosted multiple events to honor women on campus and around the world.
“Brandeis is one of only 13 universities nationwide—and the only university in Massachusetts—to be identified as a “Leader” in the report’s Comprehensive Gender Index and Ranking,” the university posted on Facebook for International Women’s Day.
The Brandeis South Asian Student Association (SASA) hosted an International Women’s Day Panel. The event featured women in leadership positions who have South Asian identities, according to the event page. The speakers discussed with community members how their identities played a role in the decisions they’ve made in regards to their careers. The panelists featured women from multiple academic institutions including: Ulka Anjaria (ENG/ SAS/ FILM) from Brandeis University, Smitha Radhakrishnan from Wellesley College, Banu Subramanian from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Jyoti Puri from Emerson College and Nafisa Tanjeem from Lesley University. The event was held on Monday, March 7.
The Undergraduate Departmental Representatives (UDR) for the Health: Science, Society and Policy (HSSP) major also hosted a panel for International Women’s Day. The event featured three professors at the university: Sarah Curi (HSSP/ LGLS), Thuy Lam (HSSP) and Lindsay Rosenfeld (HS).
The event was specifically intended for community members who have “an interest in going into academic, [or] an interest in HSSP,” according to an email sent by the HSSP UDRs. All community members were encouraged to attend to learn about the professors’ experiences as women in academia. The panelists were also answering questions from community members that were submitted via google form prior to the event, according to the email. The event was held on Monday, March 7.
The Jewish Feminist Association also held an event for International Women’s Day. The event was held in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium and featured other feminist organizations on campus and consisted of a breakfast and fair for community members to attend, according to the event page.
The university has other initiatives celebrating women throughout the month of March which is recognized as Women’s History Month. On the university’s social media pages, they will be highlighting the, “accomplishments of Brandeisian women, past and present,” according to their Facebook post. The first post of the month highlighted the history of the Women’s gender Studies (WGS) department on campus.
The Brandeis Judges’ Instagram, “will be highlighting the women in [Brandeis athletes’] lives who have shaped them into who they are today,” according to a post on their Instagram page.
