Speaker tackles barriers facing Bloomington women

As Women's History Month draws to a close, Charlotte Zietlow has a message of remembrance, hope and advice. Zietlow, economic development coordinator for Middle Way House Inc., focused on the barriers Bloomington women might face during an interactive lecture at Ivy Tech State College Wednesday afternoon.\n"I think that even though we live in a society that says everything's equal, it's still harder for women to do what they want," she said. "I want to encourage women because we've already worked very hard to open up more opportunities."\nIvy Tech Chancellor John R. Whikehart said the lecture was part of the campus's Center for Civic Engagement plan, which aims to incorporate volunteerism in classes, use the college's facility to hold community events and encourage volunteerism among students, faculty and staff. \n"What we're really trying to do is use our resources to connect to the community in a meaningful way," he said. "Women's History Month is a great opportunity to do that."\nZietlow, the first woman elected to the Bloomington Common Council, has worked in politics, business and education. She currently works to help women who have been victims of domestic violence become self-sufficient at Middle Way House. She said she can sympathize with women who are struggling to be accepted and find a satisfying job.\n"I got the door slammed in my face a lot when I was young," she said. "Opportunities just weren't there. There were a lot of roadblocks for me in finding what I wanted to do."\nDuring her lecture, which drew from the theme "Women Change America," she said the three biggest obstacles women face are health care, childcare and transportation because each affects whether a woman can hold a job or receive an education.\n"All of these determine if a woman can be self-sufficient," she said. "We've got a lot of work to do on these basic things."\nIt is those basic things that Middle Way House works to provide women, especially victims of violence. Toby Strout, the agency's executive director, said the organization tries to employ women, giving them stable but flexible work to fulfill their roles as mothers and providers.\n"One of the biggest barriers is sustained employment," Strout said. "Here we create a context where women can accomplish more."\nShe said that in celebrating Women's History Month, people should also realize that women are still working for equal opportunities.\n"Women's history is full of wonderful examples of women triumphing over sexism and limitations imposed by our patriarchal culture," she said. "When we look at women's history, we must also look at violence and the failure of the systems that are meant to protect them."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Kelly Ginty at By Kelly Ginty\nIndiana Daily Student\nAs Women's History Month draws to a close, Charlotte Zietlow has a message of remembrance, hope and advice. Zietlow, economic development coordinator for Middle Way House Inc., focused on the barriers Bloomington women might face during an interactive lecture at Ivy Tech State College Wednesday afternoon.\n"I think that even though we live in a society that says everything's equal, it's still harder for women to do what they want," she said. "I want to encourage women because we've already worked very hard to open up more opportunities."\nIvy Tech Chancellor John R. Whikehart said the lecture was part of the campus's Center for Civic Engagement plan, which aims to incorporate volunteerism in classes, use the college's facility to hold community events and encourage volunteerism among students, faculty and staff. \n"What we're really trying to do is use our resources to connect to the community in a meaningful way," he said. "Women's History Month is a great opportunity to do that."\nZietlow, the first woman elected to the Bloomington Common Council, has worked in politics, business and education. She currently works to help women who have been victims of domestic violence become self-sufficient at Middle Way House. She said she can sympathize with women who are struggling to be accepted and find a satisfying job.\n"I got the door slammed in my face a lot when I was young," she said. "Opportunities just weren't there. There were a lot of roadblocks for me in finding what I wanted to do."\nDuring her lecture, which drew from the theme "Women Change America," she said the three biggest obstacles women face are health care, childcare and transportation because each affects whether a woman can hold a job or receive an education.\n"All of these determine if a woman can be self-sufficient," she said. "We've got a lot of work to do on these basic things."\nIt is those basic things that Middle Way House works to provide women, especially victims of violence. Toby Strout, the agency's executive director, said the organization tries to employ women, giving them stable but flexible work to fulfill their roles as mothers and providers.\n"One of the biggest barriers is sustained employment," Strout said. "Here we create a context where women can accomplish more."\nShe said that in celebrating Women's History Month, people should also realize that women are still working for equal opportunities.\n"Women's history is full of wonderful examples of women triumphing over sexism and limitations imposed by our patriarchal culture," she said. "When we look at women's history, we must also look at violence and the failure of the systems that are meant to protect them."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Kelly Ginty at kginty@indiana.edu