Celebrating Women’s History Month

By Brianna Miron ’26

March 1 marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, an annual commemoration of the historical achievements and ongoing contributions of women. In support of this empowering month, students and faculty at Lafayette College collaborated to host a wide array of events to encourage celebration, discussion, and education on campus. Throughout March, the Office of Intercultural Development (OID) and the Women’s History Month Committee will be sponsoring and promoting panel discussions, community conversations, speaker presentations, and collaborative events. 

“Women’s History Month is an exciting time to be part of the Lafayette College community, especially as our team formed a cross-campus committee that reflects the spirit of collaboration and connection,” says Gabby Hochfeld, assistant director of Intercultural Development and coordinator of Gender and Sexuality Programs. 

As the student leader of this year’s Women’s History Month Committee, OID student ambassador Ana Batista ’29 began working last semester to coordinate with different organizations across campus to plan the month’s activities. Batista notes that these events are essential to encourage diversity and inclusion on campus.   

“I am so excited for this month of celebration and recognition! Women’s History Month reminds me of the women in my life who have inspired me to be kind, brave, and ambitious by sharing their stories and cheering me on.” -Ana Batista ’29 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

OID student ambassador Fatoumata Keita ’28 is most excited for the Equal Pay Day Salary Negotiation Panel and accompanying tabling event on March 3. This panel will take an intersectional approach to discussing barriers women face in the workplace and will provide guidance on salary negotiation. Keita participated in Equal Pay Day tabling last year on campus and looks forward to continuing the conversation with this year’s event. 

“It is important to discuss women’s achievements and perseverance, and to show the importance of self-advocacy.” -Fatoumata Keita ’28 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

OID is also sponsoring a speaker event “What Does Collective Care Truly Mean?”, in which alumna Edoukou Aka-Ezoua ’17 will reflect on her experiences as a social worker and doula, and how this shaped her understanding of community responsibility. 

Additional events will include Evening SolidariTea March 12, LRAJE’s Sex Carnival March 12, a screening and discussion of Women Talking with the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life March 23, and Countercultural Queer: Camp, Punk, Trash as part of the Queer Film Series March 25.   

The Women’s History Month Committee is also highlighting a number of events presented by the Hanson Center for Inclusive STEM Education, including “Kincentric Media Ecologies: Indigenous Women, Ancestral Knowledge, and Technology in the Andes“ March 10 and “The Fortress, the River, and the Garden: A New Metaphor for Knowledge Symbiosis” March 26. 

“As we pause this spring to reflect and empower one another, I am deeply grateful to the Women’s History Month Committee, the Hanson Center, Office of Intercultural Development, and the Religious and Spiritual Life team for their tremendous support,” Hochfeld says. 

Rebekah Lazar ’26 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

From the moment she joined Lafayette for Reproductive Autonomy, Justice, and Empowerment (LRAJE), Rebekah Lazar ’26 was “embraced by a community of unapologetic activists,” a community she has continued to cultivate as current president of the organization. “This organization has emerged as a place where I can not only make change but do so alongside the very best people Lafayette has to offer,” Lazar says. “With our wide variety of programs, I intend to make the most of my final Women’s History Month and senior spring with LRAJE. I am most excited to see our ideas come to life (especially Sex Carnival!).”  

For additional information about these opportunities and more occurring during Women’s History Month, check out the full list of events.