Observed since the early 1900s, International Women’s Day has become an annual event intended to inspire women and celebrate achievements.
March 8 has become a global web of rich and diverse local activity, connecting women from all around the world in events ranging from political rallies, business, conferences, government activities and networking events to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more, according to the International Women’s Day organization.
In response to this world event, IU Newsroom started a campaign titled “Her Story,” highlighting various women that play their part in the IU community to make it a better place.
From the first IU-Bloomington female police chief to the first lady of the University to coaches and professors to ordinary undergraduates destined for greatness, various women were highlighted on the interactive website herstory.iu.edu, produced by IU Newsroom.
“I wanted to share that story because I want to be a model for people who are like me and sometimes just don’t fit in,” said Precious Price, an IU sophomore highlighted in the project.
Each woman highlighted was given her own feature story discussing her jobs and positions in the IU community and the effect of gender, if any.
Laury Flint, the first female IU Police Department chief, discussed the struggles associated with getting into a highly gender-segregated field in the first place and then working her way to be in a position of authority in that field.
First lady Laurie Burns McRobbie discussed her advocacy work for women’s rights as being “a defining theme” in her life. Her feature focused on what the University’s administration does and what it has done in the past to advocate for the women of IU.
A timeline of all the first ladies of the University is also provided to display the change throughout the history of the school.
Of the students ?highlighted, economics and sociology, neuroscience and marketing were the variety of majors displayed in the three features. Students Rachel Green, Kristie Hsu and Precious Price all came from different backgrounds and ethnicities, yet each found something at IU that they either took advantage of to their best ability or improved a program in an innovative way.
Price is a first-generation college student, so participating in this project was an example to lay the groundwork for her younger siblings to follow in her ?footsteps.
She said she believes although her story is in some ways similar to those of many IU students, it is also very different.
“Being a first-generation college student is already a challenge, but being younger and an underrepresented minority presents even more challenges,” Price said.
Since coming to IU, Price said she believes she has learned how to tackle these challenges and embrace who she truly is within this community.
Focusing on the hardest task that women face today, Price said it comes down to having the confidence to go after what women truly want.
“Women, including myself, tend to overthink the choices we want to make instead of just taking the risk and going after the opportunities presented to us,” Price said. “Although it is a somewhat personal issue, through surrounding ourselves with the right people we can overcome this ?problem.”
International Women’s Day also occurs during the United States’ Women’s History Month, dedicating the entire month of March to acknowledging and appreciating the amazing women of the country throughout all ?of history.
