The university's theme for the month is "Meeting at the Intersections: What's HERstory," with the university hosting events every week this month to discuss different topics.
Jessica Martinez is an HR manager with the university and says these events are important because they create the opportunity to have intentional conversations. "These theme months, in general, create a space to have specific conversations to highlight specific experiences and to invite our community to think more broadly about what does equity look like," said Martinez.
Martinez helped lead the university's kickoff event, which focused on intersectional feminism. Womenkind Worldwide describes intersectionality as the acknowledgment that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and that individuals must consider everything that can marginalize a person.
Martinez discussed Kimberle Crenshaw, who helped coin the term. "She's really calling for us to acknowledge and engage the ways in which when you have multiple marginalized identities you might be facing discrimination or oppression in a way that others are not right, others who don't hold those identities," said Martinez.
When asked if the events were just open to women, Martinez said absolutely not. "Women's issues are not just on women to solve, right? They're really on our whole community to think about what is their role in pursuing equity? And on the flip side of that, how might they actually be perpetuating inequity? And so it's important for all of us to gather around the table and say, what could we be doing better and how do we work towards a feminist future that creates equity for all of us," said Martinez.
The university will continue to have events every week, with them capping off their month of events by hosting their 7th annual Women's Leadership Conference on March 24.
Below is a complete list of the remaining events this month:
- March 22, 3-4 p.m.: Kicking Knowledge Pac II Pacs: Womxn’ History Month. The multitudes of contributions that Black women have made in society will be celebrated by the Pan African Student Success Center, the Pan African Collegiate Scholars Program and the Student African American Sisterhood. Register at https://tinyurl.com/KickinKnowledgeMar22
- March 23, 5-6:30 p.m.: Support Your Sisters Not Just Your Cisters. Trans activist and actress Toni Bryce will be featured at the event sponsored by the Santos Manuel Student Union Queer & Transgender Resource Center (SMSU QTRC). Register at https://tinyurl.com/CSUSBToniBryce
- March 25, 5-6:30 p.m.: Winding Down for Spring Break. The SMSU Women’s Resource Center and the SMSU Queer & Transgender Resource Center Mental Health Series Episode 3 will hold a follow up from an earlier presentation to help prepare for spring break and wrap up midterms. Register at https://tinyurl.com/WindingDown4Spring.
- April 9, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: The CSUSB annual Womxn’s Leadership Conference. This year’s Womxn’s Leadership Conference will be virtual. Visit the conference website for updates on the call for proposals and the conference details.
