The event, held Oct. 17, celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child
By RACHEL TRAN — campus@theaggie.org
Two ASUCD units — The Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) and the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC) — recently held the debut Femininomenon event on Oct. 17. The event hosted resource booths for women of all backgrounds in celebration of the Oct. 11 International Day of the Girl Child.
GASC Chairperson Vanessa Sandoval, a third-year environmental science and management major, and SAAAC Chairperson Emily Setiobudi, a fourth-year clinical nutrition major, were the two leading organizers of the event.
“We wanted to have an event that celebrates girlhood [and] womanhood, but also does so in a way that is not for just straight, white cis women, but also in an intersectional way, where we are able to celebrate those who are queer, trans and of different socioeconomic statuses,” Sandoval said. “I think this event brings the community of Davis together in that it celebrates what makes us ‘us.’”
International Day of the Girl is a day to focus attention on the challenges girls face, and to empower and promote them in the fulfillment of their human rights, according to the United Nations.
The event featured several resource booths, giveaways and trivia competitions throughout the night. Highlighted booths included the Prytanean Women Honor’s Society, Center for Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE), The Pantry and women’s business conference Own It.
“Own It, with [organizers] Davis Women in Business, really strives to empower women in going beyond what they can do,” Own It External Affairs Director Arianna Kim, a third-year managerial economics major, said. “We invite speakers who have endured a lot and can share their experiences, and I think it is important that we are able to do this, specifically for our club members — women or non-binary individuals — but for all people as well. We had a lot of men come to support the speakers. I’ve talked to some of them personally, and they feel like they take away as much as they can from those conferences.”
Some two dozen people attended the event, held in Walker Hall; among them was Cristina Anteles, a fourth-year Spanish and Chicano studies double major.
“It’s not really [often that] you see events on campus that are especially girl-oriented,” Anteles said. “The Care Booth and Pantry Booth were really cool; The Pantry specifically because they had Clear Blue Pregnancy tests, which are definitely very pricey outside of Davis. It’s honestly really cool that not only pregnancy tests but even Plan Bs are so accessible here.”
While Femininomenon may be over, students can still access sexual wellness and menstrual care products on campus. At the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), there is a Wellness To Go vending machine that provides over-the-counter contraceptives, feminine products and commonly-used pain medicine. Additionally, the Love Lab on the first floor of the Cowell building provides free contraceptives and other sexual wellness items.
Setiobudi says that she and other organizers hope to hold another Femininomenon event in the future, reiterating that SAAAC will continue to work to provide spaces for women on campus.
“This is just a place for girls to be girls and intentionally take up space,” Setiobudi said.
Written by: Rachel Tran — campus@theaggie.org
