It’s that time of year for We Are Women! This is the fourth year that this event has been empowering Southwestern students, and this year that tradition continues on. This year’s event includes the following:

Tuesday, April 9th in Mood-Bridwell Atrium:

Campus Safety/Sexual Assault Forum

7:00 PM

Dos Salsas provided

Wednesday, April 10th in the Mood-Bridwell Atrium:

Art Show and Poetry/Music Performance

Art Show opens 6:15 PM

Performance starts 7:00 PM

Snacks and refreshments provided

Thursday, April 11th in Olin 110:

Unmasking Masculinity Panel

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Lunch provided

For those who are unfamiliar with We Are Women, this is their manifesto:

“We Are Women aims to amplify the voices of those who identify as women by articulating the complexity and intricacy of taking up a brave and brilliant space of existence.“

In that spirit, this year’s first event on April 9th is an open forum with the topic of what campus safety and sexual assault look like here at Southwestern. Any Southwestern community member is invited to come and talk, share their experiences, offer ideas, express concern, listen, and observe this discussion about campus safety. While there will be faculty and staff members in attendance, the forum will be a space for the voices of students to be heard and taken seriously. Two topics that will be brought up include how the #MeToo movement influences institutions like our own, and what ways we can improve our campus in order for safety to be felt by everyone.

On Wednesday, April 10th the art show showcasing the work from student Hannah Mitchell will open at 6:15pm, and the performances will begin at 7pm with acts from students and staff members from the Southwestern community. They will present songs, poems, and monologues written by women and themselves, respectively. All performances encompass varying themes of womanhood. This year the show is directed by Trinh Ha with assistant director Madi Wallace. Donations for the art show and performance will be given to Hope Alliance. Hope Alliance is a non-profit organization in Round Rock, Texas that serves people who have been affected by family/domestic and sexual violence.

E.M.P.I.R.E. is collaborating with WAW to bring us the Unmasking Masculinity panel happening April 11th. The panel will feature Southwestern students, professors, and staff who will offer their perspective on the topic of toxic masculinity in an engaging conversation.

We Are Women is supported by CDSJ, SU Health and Counseling Department, E.M.P.I.R.E., Mosaic, and SUPD.

We Are Women would like to thank Mosaic for granting funds for the event.

We Are Women logo designed by Hannah Mitchell