By Daniel Bestul, Olivia Kjorlien, Collin Bouressa & Samuel Drake
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay shifts its focus to celebrate Women’s History Month by hosting events.
In the United States, Women’s History Month was officially recognized in 1987 when Congress passed a resolution designating March as a time to honor and celebrate the contributions of women throughout history. The month-long celebration provides an opportunity to highlight the achievements and struggles of women in various fields, including politics, science, art, and activism. It serves as a reminder of the importance of gender equality and the ongoing fight for women’s rights. According to the Pew Research Center, “In 2022, American women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.” Women’s History Month is a time to educate, inspire, and empower individuals to continue working towards a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
On Wednesday, March 6th, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Student Engagement, the Cofrin Library, Women and Gender Studies Department, Leaders Igniting Transformation, Women of Color, and the Pride Center hosted an event called Barbie Bash to highlight the important work of famous trans women, and women to celebrate the message of empowerment and inclusivity portrayed in the Barbie movie. The event organizers were focused on promoting creativity and enjoyment, with the comfort of snacks, drinks, and the playing of the Barbie movie. The celebration of women and gender empowerment is central to this event, echoing the powerful message of the Barbie movie that “Barbie can be anything.” This event aims to bring people together in a fun and creative way with a costume contest where participants can showcase their interpretation of Barbie, Ken, or Allan. Prizes such as a Blu-ray copy of the Barbie movie and a Funko Pop figurine were for the winners.
Kylee Thao, an events crew programmer who came up with the idea of Barbie Bash, felt encouraged to have an event that recognizes women. “As soon as I saw Barbie, I felt inspired. I loved how the movie recognized the complications of being a woman and how all the women in the movie came together to support each other. This made me want to create an event that would do the same. I wanted to create an event that would allow them to have a community that feels like they are supported, recognized, and appreciated.”
In addition to the costume contest, the Pride Center also highlighted the experiences of trans women, whose stories are often overlooked, by showcasing famous queer women in history on a bulletin board and providing resources like a presentation and a Spotify playlist featuring influential female artists. The Pride Center is promoting awareness and appreciation of women’s history. Mariah Monasterio, one of the event organizers emphasizes, said Barbie is very influential. “Just the notion alone that Barbie can be anything is powerful,” underscoring the importance of representation and diversity.
One institute that was recently created at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL). It was created in 2021 to recognize the region’s growth for women leaders. The institute’s mission is to advance women in all stages of their careers by educating, inspiring, and providing networking opportunities to create a strong and equitable workforce. In October 2023, Pa Lee Moua was announced as the first full-time Executive Director of the Schreiber IWL. Moua has an undergraduate in Business Administration from Lakeland College and a graduate degree in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh. Moua has earned numerous awards and recognition, including acknowledgment from Madison in 2020 as one of the 48th most influential Asian Americans in Wisconsin, the 2020 MLK Educator Award, and the 2019 Authentic Leadership Award at the Hmong Women Summit.
Moua’s role is to work alongside the board to support and provide opportunities for women to expand their leadership capacity both personally and professionally. “We have a dynamic advisory board, which includes multiple founding members, including multiple women from different backgrounds, businesses, and expertise,” Moua said.
In celebrating Women’s History Month, it is essential to understand and acknowledge the significant impact women have made in various aspects of society, including education, business, family, and community. Moua expressed, “Women have historically faced barriers to leadership roles, such as wage gaps and limited promotional opportunities, which need to be addressed and transformed.” Through partnerships with organizations and hosting events like the International Women’s Day Celebration and engagements with other leadership structures, IWL aims to empower women and highlight their voices and representation. Moua hopes the Schreiber IWL is able to continue to lift women. “We are about bringing women together to build an inclusive community of support, collaboration, and networking. When women rise, we all rise together.”
