Conference aims to empower women

UNC will become a hub for female empowerment this weekend as 160 students and several Triangle-area organizations convene for a student-organized conference.

The event, Womyn’s Issues Now (WIN), plans to educate attendees about four main issues: reproductive rights and justice, politics, violence against women and women in the media.

Hosted by UNC Students United for Reproductive Justice, the program will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with four break-out sessions, a speech from Monica Simpson, who is executive director of the national group SisterSong, and discussion time.

Each session will offer four different options to choose from.

“I hope people can find organizations that they want to get involved with on campus and in the community and just learn more about how prevalent some of these issues really are today,” SURJ co-chairwoman Isabella Higgins said.

UNC clubs, including Siren Magazine and Embody Carolina,will speak about the need for feminism in the media and problems with eating disorders.

The Orange County Rape Crisis Center, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina and Lillian’s List— a committee that works to elect pro-choice Democratic women to the N.C. General Assembly — are among the other presenters.

Alexis Kralic, education and finance coordinator for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, will also give a presentation on child sexual abuse. The talk will educate attendees on the warning signs associated with this type of abuse, which Kralic said differ from those of date rape or interrelationship violence.

“I think a lot of students are interested in working with children, and it’s important for them to notice the warning signs,” Kralic said.

While educating children on how to handle uncomfortable situations is important, ultimately the responsibility should not be left to kids, Kralic said.

Holly Sit and Rachel Faulk, co-chairs of the Students United for Reproductive Justice Speaker Search Committee, reached out to local nonprofit organizations and speakers about getting involved with Womyn’s Issues Now and received support from almost everyone contacted.

Sit is especially excited to hear NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina speak.

“It was really rewarding to find out they were more than willing to come,” Sit said.

The idea for the large regional conference stemmed from a smaller conference Students United for Reproductive Justice held last year, which focused mainly on reproductive justice, Higgins said.

Attendees at Saturday’s conference will leave with an increased awareness of issues plaguing women today, as well as ways to get involved in their community.

“These are issues that go beyond our campus,” Sit said.

“Most of these issues affect women every day, regardless of race, sexual orientation, whatever.”

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