On Tuesday, March 8, Southern New Hampshire Uni­versity (SNHU) will celebrate International Women’s Day on campus. This is a day of celebra­tion recognized by many coun­tries around the world who encourage accelerating gender parity (this year’s theme) while celebrating the achievements of women.

Organized by Brooke Gilm­ore, the director of the Debo­rah L. Coffin Women’s Center, the day will consist of a series of events to celebrate women in the SNHU community and promote the cause of the day. Sponsors and partner organi­zations involved include Out­reach, International Student Association, Student Activists for Gender Equality, History Club, Office of the SNHU Presi­dent, the Center for Commu­nity Engaged Learning, Office of Institutional Advancement, the International Institute of New Hampshire, and the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. Gilmore hopes that “this event will become an annual celebration of women and women’s issues on a global scale” on SNHU’s campus.

The day will begin at noon with a luncheon on the second floor of the Dining Center. SNHU President Paul LeBlanc will give a brief speech at the commencement of the lun­cheon. This event will set the stage for the rest of the day and will allow for attendees to mingle and network with the women of SNHU.

Following the luncheon, there will be interactive and educational tables presented mostly by the student organiza­tion sponsors. Each table will have a different topic including women in history,

famous international wom­en, how to get involved and support gender parity, photo opportunities and more. Ta­bling will happen throughout the early afternoon from 1-4 p.m.

There will also be two after­noon sessions in the Hospitality Boardroom from 2-4:30 p.m. In the first session, SNHU students Youssaira Akennad and Ra­chael Straehle will speak about their experiences volunteering with women in Morocco and Kenya, respectively. The second session will be more interac­tive. Attendees will make wel­come kits for refugee women and children while the director of the International Institute of New Hampshire provides and overview of the organization’s work.

The day will wrap up with a showing of “He Called Me Malala” at 5 p.m. The film is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. Before the film, a panelist of SNHU international students will share their views about women’s rights and issues around the world. Participation in International Women’s Day is free and open to all, but at­tendees are invited to bring a donation to help and welcome refugee women and children into the Manchester commu­nity. Donation item suggestions include sanitary pads, adult or baby shampoo, diapers, baby formula, toiletries and coloring books with crayons.

Contact the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center at wo­menscenter@snhu.edu with any questions.

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