On Tuesday, March 10 from 1 to 3 p.m., the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Patricia E. Robertson Center will be hosting the International Women’s Day Student Presentations. The event will be in the Carrier Center lobby on the 2nd floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center.
Each spring, students in WGSS 2020: Women in Global Perspective honor International Women’s Day by presenting on an active organization that aligns with their own interests.
“In our textbook and in class, we discuss not just problems that women have around the world, but what they’re doing to respond to those problems, to fix things,” said Patricia Buck, professor of WGSS 2020. “We are interested in what women do, not just what women suffer.”
For 2026 International Women’s Day, UN Women, the lead United Nations organization for gender equality, is promoting the message: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” This theme is demonstrated through the variety of organizations students have chosen to present on for this year’s event and the impact each one is making in the world today.
“Women are active. Women are doing things to improve their communities and really, the world, if you look at climate action. Women are very active in making a better world. I mean, I know my students and I had no idea how many organizations there are, how many people are doing this work. It’s pretty impressive,” Buck said.
There will be nine presentations featuring the following organizations:
Women’s Earth and Climate Organization (WECAN) International focuses on worldwide climate justice and advocacy through on-the-ground, solution-based work.
The Pad Project is a global organization that focuses on expanding access to menstrual care products as well as providing information to fight stigma surrounding periods.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a global feminist peacebuilding organization that was founded in 1915 during World War I and continues to work toward a future of equality, justice and peace for all.
Pan-African Women’s Organization (PAWO) began in the 1940s to fight for the liberation of Africa and for human rights for the African peoples. After many of the African countries achieved independence, the organization began to focus on efforts to improve the lives of African peoples through socioeconomic development.
Women Win is a global network of organizations that initially began with the goal of empowering girls and women in sports but has since expanded to include two other main initiatives: economic resilience and democratization of philanthropy.
Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) is an organization that is working to eliminate human trafficking and child labor in Nigeria.
The “me too.” Global Network is made up of 130 organizations that seek to achieve a central goal of ending sexual and gender-based violence.
Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI)’s first network was founded in the 1970s to support women in the male-dominated industry while working toward gender balance. Today, the organization remains dedicated to empowering women working in all areas of screen-based media.
Global Alliance for Women’s Health is an organization dedicated to closing the women’s health gap through research, funding and advocacy.
“These organizations really try to fill in gaps. You know, if there isn’t, say, national support for a health issue or national support for a voice in government, these organizations will fill in those gaps,” Buck said.
The presentation links with more in-depth information about each organization will also be available on the WGSS event page at etsu.edu/cas/women-gender-sexuality/iwdpresentations.php
