March is nationally recognized as a celebration of the history and achievements of women and their contributions to society
By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org
Women’s History Month is annually observed during the month of March within the United States to highlight the voices of women that sacrificed and fought to bring us to where we are today.
In Davis, there are organizations, such as Soroptimist International, that dedicate their time to promoting gender equality and education. Lori Hansen, the president of Soroptimist International of Davis, shared more about the founding of the organization and its mission.
“Soroptimist International is a global volunteer organization with a network of nearly 65,000 members in 118 countries,” Hansen said. “It was founded in Oakland, California in 1921 at a time when women were not permitted to join service organizations. Our chapter, Soroptimist International of Davis, was formed in May of 1954. […] Our mission is to provide women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Our core values are gender equality, empowerment, education and diversity and fellowship.”
Two signature programs of the organization are called Live Your Dream and Dream It, Be It. Live Your Dream is a grant that clubs award to women who are financial heads of their household and are pursuing an undergraduate education or technical training.
“Many of these women have overcome hardships such as homelessness, foster care and domestic violence,” Hansen said. “We gave five Live Your Dream Awards this year.”
The Dream It, Be It program focuses on career development and mentorship for girls. Soroptimist International of Davis works monthly with a local continuation high school, Martin Luther King Jr. High School, to present about career paths and goal setting.
The organization hosts fundraisers throughout the year to support their mission, including one coming up on March 9, Cuts for a Cause, at Creative Hair & Spa and Underdog Barbershop with all proceeds going to Soroptimist International. On top of fundraising, they participate in a variety of projects to serve the community.
“We also collect food for the [Short Term Emergency Aid Committee] (STEAC) neighborhood Food Project, make and fill toiletry bags for women at the domestic violence shelter and fill rescue backpacks for women escaping sex trafficking,” Hansen said.
The Davis Food Co-op has a monthly beneficiary for their Round Up At The Register program and updates their website after each month with the fundraising results. For the month of March, Soroptimist International of Davis will be the beneficiary.
“Founded in 1954, the Davis chapter actively supports the community through programs like the Live Your Dream Awards, which offer financial assistance to women who are primary financial supporters of their families, and the Dream It, Be It career mentoring program for high school girls,” the Davis Food Co-op website reads. “Additionally, they collaborate with local organizations to combat human trafficking and provide resources for survivors. Their mission is to ensure women and girls have the opportunities to reach their full potential and live their dreams.”
During Women’s History Month, it is important to educate ourselves on the significance of the women who came before us. The Avid Reader Bookstore provides a list of books on their website to highlight literature that focuses on telling the stories of powerful women in history as well as the struggles women have endured over time. Some of these include “The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts” by Loren Grush and “Off with Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power” by Eleanor Herman.
“Women’s History Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women throughout history,” Hansen said. “It also encourages conversations about the need for continued progress towards gender equity.”
Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org
