Why Women’s History Month?
In 1982, President Reagan declared March 7 as the beginning of Women’s History Week. Five years later, the National Women’s Project petitioned Congress to designate March as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate and recognize the contributions and specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields (Library of Congress).
Events
Title: The “Labor of Diaspora:" Black Women, Resistance and Sustainability in the Americas
Abstract: Throughout history and into the present, Black women have steered radical resistance and sociopolitical movements throughout the Americas and the world. However, their presence, activism and contributions remain overlooked. This presentation provides a brief yet critical survey of well-known and lesser-known Black women that have led and who are leading vital sociopolitical movements that speak to the intersectionality of our experiences in the U.S and Latin America. In the presentation, Bennett will also briefly discuss her past and current research that explores the role of Black women in fostering forms of economic sustainability that act as resistance in a global neoliberal context.
Presenter: Masonya Bennett, PhD, Assistant Professor, SIUE Department of Anthropology
Date/Time: March 2, 2 p.m.
Webinar Registration
Title: "It’s just what moms do:” Invisible Labor, Struggling Silently, and Performing Motherhood Flawlessly
Abstract: Women encounter a unique lived experience in which they must perform a multitude of tasks both in the working world and in their home lives. This is particularly true of mothers. Mothers engage in invisible labor preparing meals, cleaning, shopping, scheduling for the family, pet care, emailing teachers, doctor's appointments, gift purchasing, making health decisions, and numerous other activities that often go unnoticed (unless they fail to be completed, of course). As mothers engage in domestic responsibilities, one task they encounter is maintaining face in public spaces, on and offline. Mothers often feel the intense burden of performing motherhood flawlessly as they project a positive self-image, avoid sharing challenges, and discuss only positive experiences. This results in women's domestic labor being further hidden from view. Mothers are overworked and undervalued, as the invisible work completed daily creates an imbalance in the relationship. The first step to reducing inequity in family work is recognizing the work that women do.
This presentation highlights findings from a large research project focused on challenges encountered in motherhood. The project resulted in three separate studies guided by theoretical sensibilities: the inequity in invisible work labor, social support and privacy management, and the pressure to perform motherhood perfectly. This research highlights the work women accomplish and begins to bring attention and appreciation to their invisible labor, the lack of social support, and pressure perform a flawless version of motherhood.
Presenter: Jocelyn M. DeGroot, PhD, Professor, SIUE Department of Applied Communication Studies
Date/Time: March 17, 12:30 p.m.
Webinar Registration
Title: Intersectional Feminism in the Age of Transnationalism
Abstract: Intersectional Feminism in the Age of Transnationalism is an edited volume that addresses transnationalism and feminism in literature, film, television, and the visual arts created by female artists who highlight the experiences of the marginalized groups in their creative output. The book provides insights into the creative imagination of contemporary women writers and artists from Spain, the Caribbean and South America, and examines the new terms of self-representation they put forth. The authors of the chapters in the volume range from early-career academics to established scholars who share a profound belief in the continued usefulness of intersectionality as a truly feminist category of critical analysis.
Presenter: Olga Bezhanova, PhD, Professor and Chair, SIUE Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
Date/Time: March 23, 1 p.m.
Location: Peck Hall 0413
Title: Pakistani Women and the 'Other'
Abstract: "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" is the first Pakistani drama that aired in India on Zee Entertainment Enterprise's newly launched channel whose advertisement emphasizes Connecting Hearts to highlight a new initiative to air Pakistani soaps and serials for Indian audiences. "Zindagi Gulzar Hai," which was aired twice on popular demand, imagined the possibility for peaceful reconciliation between the two political rivals, India and Pakistan. Through its plot, structure, and star discourse in publicity material, ZGH drama was presented as a pro-women series, fighting stereotypes and practices that harm women.
"I agree that ZGH raises questions about patriarchal structure, the position of women, and the promise of a positive effect. I engage in examining the portrayals of women in ZGH, paying particular attention to their representation in the roles of love interests, wives, mothers, especially in the context of their position in society," said Vij. "These scripted roles and their visual presentation convey values and issues such as sacrifice, strength, family, sexuality, and femininity. My own experience through various engagements indicates that there is tension between the publicity material and the actual visual narrative which in turn, creates hegemonic representations."
Presenter: Sonal Vij, second-year PhD scholar, SIUC College of Mass Communication
Date/Time: March 31, 12:30 p.m.
Webinar Registration
For more information, please contact Carolina Rocha, crocha@siue.edu
