Commission on the Status of Women Sponsors “Linking Arms for Social Justice: If Not You, Then Who?” Women’s Leadership Developme

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 23, 2017

For more information, please contact:

Beth Friedman Kirk, City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women, 812-219-9407

Sue Owens, Program Specialist, Community & Family Resources Department, 812-349-3468, owenss@bloomington.in.gov

Commission on the Status of Women Sponsors "Linking Arms for Social Justice: If Not You, Then Who?" Women's Leadership Development Event

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women will hold its annual women's leadership development event on Thursday, March 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. The theme of this year's event is "Linking Arms for Social Justice: If Not You, Then Who?" There is no fee for this opportunity to learn how to get involved and make a difference in our community.

The event will begin with registration and light refreshments at 5:00 p.m. The program begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m. during which participants can network and learn more about getting involved with City of Bloomington Boards and Commissions as well as other local agencies.

The program will include an award presentation to the 2017 Emerging Leader, Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, and a panel discussion focusing on women's rights and social activism. The panel will seek to foster understanding about the ways gender intersects with other identities and how these intersections contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege. While all women are in some ways subject to gender discrimination, other factors including race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic class, ability, culture, and status as a migrant, refugee, etc. combine to determine one's social location. Intersectionality is a frame for studying, understanding and responding to these intersections for social justice.

Four panelists will offer remarks on the following topics: Sheila Kennedy on misogyny; Frances Trix on immigration, race and religion; Christine Popp on immigration; and Amrita Chakrabarti Myers on intersectionality, with a focus on women of color.

Following initial panelist remarks, the moderator, Yael Ksander, will invite the panelists to comment and build on one another's statements with the goal of highlighting the intersections and divergences between the topics, as well as suggesting strategies for taking action. The panel then will move towards a more freewheeling discussion that also engages the audience.

The 2017 Emerging Leader, Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, is the Chairperson of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education-Monroe County, a nonprofit advocacy group working to engage the community on issues affecting public schools, as well as a member of the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board. As a mother of four children in the public school system, she is an advocate for public education in our county and state.

Mayor John Hamilton commented, "Cathy is terrifically deserving of the Emerging Leader award. Her passionate work to elevate and protect public education in our state has been outstanding. I suspect we will continue to see important, meaningful work - work that may change and will certainly improve the way we deliver education - from Cathy for many years to come."

Co-sponsors of this event include the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women and the City of Bloomington Community & Family Resources Department.

For more information, contact Sue Owens at owenss@bloomington.in.gov.

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