Ohio University’s Women’s Center wrapped up its sixth-annual International Women’s Day Festival with music, crafts, speeches and more in its celebration on Sunday.
The festival had booths of local vendors, including henna tattoos, a Day of the Dead altar honoring women who have died and local organizations such as Hollaback! Appalachian Ohio.
A FACES fashion show also showcased international clothing from around the world as presenters sang, recited poetry and informed the audience on different cultures and women’s issues, such as different types of abuse.
Hannah Scherer, a sophomore studying accounting, and Taylor Thompson, a sophomore studying sports management, said they came out to the festival for the first time together to see what was offered. Thompson she said she enjoyed the booths and information that was set around the festival.
Scherer said she thought this event was important for women and international advocacy.
“(Women) still have to fight for a lot of equality in this world and (celebrating International Women’s Day) really makes you aware of the issues going on, and it’s important for OU to be aware of these issues,” Scherer said.
Another performance included the Athens High School girl band, Ragamuffin, which performed girl-powered songs like “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways and “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil. Alana Baldwin, high school sophomore and guitarist and backing vocalist in Ragamuffin, said the band enjoyed performing and being a part of a women-empowering event.
Kathryn Warren, a college student personnel graduate student intern for the center, said she was happy with the success of the event.
“I hope people took away a sense of community, that’s what I felt,” Warren said. “Seeing all of the different people come together: women, men, families, OU students, community members come together to have fun and enjoy each other.”
Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director for the Multicultural Center, said she has been involved since the festival’s first year. This is an important event to bring the global aspect to the campus and encourage higher learning, she said.
“It’s kind of a two-prong (event),” Chunnu-Brayda said. “It’s empowerment and information and the other part is sharing women’s stories and women’s talent, and I thought it went really well.”
The feedback from those who came to celebrate was positive, LGBT and Women’s Center Programming Coordinator Sarah Tucker Jenkins said.
“I think people really appreciate that we take the opportunity to honor the different cultures that women live in,” Jenkins said.
Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women’s Center, said she was happy with the turnout and for future festivals, feels like the importance of International Women’s Day will always be there.
“I don’t think women will be liberated and empowered overnight,” Dietzel said. “So we need to keep up the word about (International Women’s Day). And I think we just need to give more opportunities for domestic and international women and men to meet each other in an atmosphere such as this.”
@REB_BARNES
rb605712@ohiou.edu
This article appeared in print under the headline "International Women’s Day celebrated."
