Throughout the month of March, the University is celebrating Women’s History Month (WHM) with a variety of art, activities, lectures, and events. Celebrations began with a Kick-Off event on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Daniel Family Commons.
The 2025 Women’s History Month Committee was made up of both faculty from the Office of Student Involvement, WesWell, and the Resource Center, and students. The committee met once a week to discuss and plan programs.
“Planning this year involved us bringing our ideas together, researching resources within our cohort, and then refining these ideas in smaller subcommittees,” CJ Joseph ’25, who serves on the committee, wrote in a message to The Argus. “The committee itself was focused on fine-tuning details, ensuring everything was timely, well-publicized, and that we offered as many resources as possible.”
This year’s WHM events are intended to resonate with the entire University community.
“We’re highlighting the more nuanced dimensions of intersectional feminism, especially in light of this new administration,” Joseph wrote. “This year, we have art installations, discussions on linguistic justice, and a range of educational programs aimed not only at the broader Wesleyan community, which may not necessarily identify as female, but also at empowering ourselves within both our femininity and our shared community.”
The committee aimed to offer a variety of events, ranging in topics and formats, in order to emphasize the many variations of feminism.
“This WHM celebration sought to highlight the various aspects of feminism while also addressing that feminism should not be generalized and varies from each individual,” Oluchi Chukwuemeka ’25, another committee member, wrote in a message to The Argus.
Students on the committee, including Sandrine Alouidor ’28, spoke to the importance of honoring women’s accomplishments at the University.
“Women’s History Month is an incredibly important time for me,” Alouidor wrote in a message to The Argus. “Recognizing the achievements of women, celebrating those who have been forgotten by history, and making space for women to come together is, for me, a part of addressing so many challenges faced by women together, from the epidemic of misogynistic violence to medical misogyny.”
Upcoming events range from plays and films featuring women, free Henna designs for women on campus, WesWell information sessions on birth control and menstruation, and a lecture on women in science hosted by the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. Student groups Wesleyan Reproductive Advocacy & Legislation and Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness plan to host an Open Mic at Espwesso on Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m.
In addition to the many events making up the month, The Resource Center is putting up a Medical Racism Awareness Display in Usdan University Center’s display case from Monday, March 24 through Friday, March 28.
“This initiative is to spread awareness about medical racism in the POC women community through the use of art, personal stories and quotes as well as statistics concerning the matter,” the Office for Equity and Inclusion webpage reads.
Intersectionality was a focus of this year’s celebrations for the committee.
“We also sought to bring the topic of intersectionality to the conversation of WHM by highlighting the reality that typically white women are talked about in terms of the struggles that women go through and to emphasize the inclusion of race and ethnicity in WHM when we talk about feminism,” Chukwuemeka wrote.
Despite the long history of the month, recent attacks on identity-based celebrations have affected celebrations of WHM. Google Calendar recently removed its default references to Women’s History Month, along with other observances such as Black History Month and Pride Month. President Donald Trump did not release an official proclamation to mark the start of the month, though the U.S. Congress declared the month of March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity beginning in 1987.
Committee members noted that the need for support for all types of femininity at the University should go further than a one-month celebration.
“The lack of visibility and recognition, especially from the administration, makes this fight even more pressing,” Joseph wrote. “So, while I love this month and everything it stands for, it’s essential to recognize that the struggle for visibility and the embrace of non-traditional femininity is far from over both on this campus and beyond.”
Nonetheless, students believe that reflecting on the history of women is an important tradition to maintain.
“Women’s History Month matters because it’s a reminder of how much we owe to the women who’ve fought for change, made history, and paved the way for all of us,” event attendee Avika Lohia ’28 said. “It’s not just about remembering their achievements, it’s about recognizing the everyday women who shape our lives in ways we often take for granted. It’s a time to really listen, reflect, and honor what they’ve gone through so that we can continue to live the life we do.”
Anabel Goode can be reached at agoode@wesleyan.edu.
Spencer Landers can be reached at sklanders@wesleyan.edu.
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