History of
Women's Studies:
In
2000, the Women's Studies Committee was founded to promote the success
of women at STC and its surrounding communities, and to join our
efforts with similar ones around the world. In the intervening
years, we have sponsored events to combat ignorance or indifference
regarding issues that affect women’s lives.
• We
have for several years organized the Clothesline Project, which
involves STC students in a campaign to raise awareness about violence
against women; students use paint and chalk to write messages of
protest and hope.
• We
have co-sponsored a bilingual production of Eve Ensler’s acclaimed
play, The Vagina Monologues, in an effort to combat sexual violence
against women.
• We
frequently work with local organizations such as Mujeres Unidas (Women
United) to bring hope and comfort to battered women of the Rio Grande
Valley.
Another aim of our efforts has been to celebrate and empower women by
providing them with the inspiration and support they need to be
successful.
• We
have worked with the local chapter of Dress for Success to teach women
the skills they will need to be successful at a job interview.
• We
air films that showcase the struggles and achievements of women from
all over the world, and we highlight women from different cultures by
sponsoring festivals that celebrate women from countries like India and
Pakistan
• We
have offered seminars taught by community leaders and experts in fields
such as martial arts and self-defense; basic automotive maintenance and
repair; and medical screening and health promotion to encourage women
to be proactive, knowledgeable, and independent in their personal
lives.
We have also forged bonds between the academic community and the
community at large by holding scholarly conferences designed to educate
the public on critical social concerns for women.
• We
have sponsored many informational discussion forums on women and
immigration, women and the workplace, and women and the legal system,
among others, with discussion led by notable local professionals.
• We
have hosted conferences on pertinent women’s issues, such as our 2006
Women and War conference which fostered debate about the role of women
in war and the effect of war on women.
• Our
forthcoming 2007 conference about Sex Trafficking will focus on the
horrific and increasingly prevalent criminal sexual exploitation of
women and children around the world.
It is our greatest desire, as we continue this endeavor to engender
heightened awareness about women's issues and an ever-increasing
enlightenment on women's place in our society.
|