Since 1987, National Women’s History Month has been celebrated every March. This year, The Office of Multicultural and International Student Services is celebrating it, including a seminar titled “Women’s Issues”. The event was held Wednesday, March 4, in the LSC, room 304.
“The point of the program is to have both boys and girls to have a discussion about the differences between men and women and the things that affect us all differently,” Ashley McDonough, the program coordinator, said.
At the seminar a counselor from the Sam counseling center, Elizabeth Charier, spoke about women’s issues. Her main points of discussion were of women’s interactions with mental illness and what causes the illness, eating disorders, and personality disorders such as dependant, borderline, and histrionic personalities.
“When it comes down to it, the anxiety that women have is over what other what other people think of them,” Charier said.
The lecture was over how the media and advertisements portray how a woman should look and act. She said that these images put pressure on women to look perfect just like models in the magazines. From these pressures women give in to eating disorders and begin to have “women’s issues”.
The seminar was not only for women, despite the title. Charier covered a variety of men’s issues, such as the belief that nice guys finish last. She showed how this perception of men who do not fit the manly man stereotype get a bad name, and are constantly criticized by their peers.
“It teaches women how to have a better self-image, and how to break what society has set for us,” Janessa Ramon, participant, said.
Flyers were all over campus, a Facebook group was formed, emails were sent out to faculty and staff, and, of course, there were free giveaways.
If you missed out on the Women’s Issues seminar, there are many more events coming up to celebrate Women’s History Month. Just visit the Office of MISS event calendar for more details.