March is the month of female empowerment and celebration, and organizations like UF’s Enactus Club are working to spread awareness.
The UF Enactus Club partnered with Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart to develop the Women Working with Women campaign in which members teach a seven-week course for local women looking to re-enter the workforce. The first class is graduating Sunday.
Alessandra Bustamante, project manager and a UF economics and international studies junior, said Enactus members strive to solve community issues. This year, the members chose to focus on women empowerment.
Enactus received a $1,500 grant from Wal-Mart, a $1,500 grant from Coca-Cola and a $1,800 grant from Parisleaf to help rebrand Women Working with Women.
Bustamante, 22, and fellow project manager Rachel Bowden, 21, said they have devoted about 1,300 hours to the campaign since September.
They said the time spent is well worth it after seeing improvements in the women’s lives.
“We’re really excited,” said Bowden, a UF economics and history junior. “Women are sometimes forgotten in our community, so to have a month dedicated to that is awesome.”
The International Festival of Women Composers Concert is also bringing attention to women’s accomplishments.
Today through March 24, the free concert at the UF School of Music and the Baughman Center on Lake Alice will highlight female composers.
“In many concert programs there are only men composers,” said Miriam Zach, festival founder and creative director. “This gives women a voice and a way of expression.”
UF’s Women’s Student Association is sponsoring roughly half of UF’s Women’s History Month events, including a cultural dance performance Wednesday and a speaking event on March 18 featuring transgender model and advocate Geena Rocero.
Michelle Nolan, director of Women’s History Month at UF and an organic chemistry graduate student, said she’s excited for the diverse events and variety of participants.
“Hopefully people will walk away with the scope of what it means to be a woman,” Nolan, 24, said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/10/2015 under the headline “Local course and concerts promote Women’s History”]
