Ohio University’s International Women’s Day Festival promoted an end to violence against women with multiple performances from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
The university’s Women’s Center hosted its fifth annual festival, incorporating the theme “A promise is a promise.”
“We want people to understand that if you pledge to help women and to show that you’re going to make a promise to end violence against women,” said Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director for the Multicultural Center. “We want people to take away that women also need allies.”
Bhakti Shah, a master’s student studying education administration at Ohio University, performed an Asian dance for the festival.
“I think no matter how much advanced a university or a country is, there’s always a need to remind them (of violence against women),” Shah said. “I think this is a way we celebrate our freedom or the better lives that we live now.”
The festival consisted of 36 performances that included presentations about eating disorders, Irish dancers, Latin American music and poets with about 530 people in attendance, said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women’s Center.
“It’s important to have International Women’s Day because it’s recognizing the contribution that women make, not just to the world, but to the Athens community in general,” said Hannah Stanton-Gockel, director of the Vagina Monologues.
Stanton-Gockel preformed in the festival with hula-hoops and has been doing so for the past four years.
“OU is such a diverse group, and it’s a place where we’re very encouraging of expressing ourselves and kind of delving into other cultures,” said Rachel Kelly, volunteer for the Women’s Center and the festival. “This is just a great area to bring them all together at once and it just, it’s a great atmosphere to basically see what OU has to offer.”
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