Ceremony marks Women's Day


Monday, March 23, 1998	Ceremony marks Women's Day By KHYBER OSER Collegian Staff Writer Wanjiru Kamau dedicated the first candle to all grandmothers. She asked the audience members to say their own grandmothers' names as she lit the candle. Another candle represented mothers. Another symbolized children. The last one was a candle for humanity. "I'm lighting candles as a ritual to celebrate great women of past, present and future," said Kamau, senior diversity planning analyst for the vice provost of educational equity. "One last candle represents humankind that has been fed by the soul of the woman." About 25 people listened intently as Kamau spoke at the University's second annual Celebration and Observance of International Women's Day last night in the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. She spoke about the need for women to remember the legacy and wisdom of their grandmothers and mothers, adding that women of all ages must interact with one another.
Wanjiru Kamau, senior diversity planning analyst for the vice provost of educational equity, applauds candles in honor of women at the second annual Celebration and Observance of International Women's Day, held yesterday at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. Kamau talked about the need for women around the world to educate themselves on women's issues. (Collegian Photo/Aimee C. Toberman - click for full size image)	"It started me thinking about connections between older and younger generations of women," said Heather Solimini (sophomore-women's studies). "I think it's really important." The event's theme was "Women's Human Rights." Beginning with a potluck dinner, the evening featured speakers from different countries who addressed the state of women's rights in their home nations. Loveness Murinda, former public relations officer for the International Student Council, spoke about the situation of women in Zimbabwe. Murinda said when two people get married, the groom's family is traditionally expected to provide a dowry for the bride's family. But, she said, dowry has become a serious issue because women's families are currently expecting more and more money for their daughters' hands in marriage. "Women are being seen as a commodity now," Murinda said. "In the past ten years, (dowry) has become more than just a token. It's a way to improve the family's current economic situation."
*"Women are being seen as a commodity now."* - Loveness Murinda, former public relations officer for the International Student Council	Speaking from a European perspective, Santa Casciani, assistant professor of Italian, said, in some ways, women are better respected in other countries than in the United States. In Italy, she said, women have a paid maternity leave and there also exists a "father leave," with pay, of up to three months after a child's birth, in which a father can take care of his wife and children. Other speakers represented India, Mexico and the United States. International Women's Day is a positive event, said Jill Dworzanski, co-director of Womyn's Concerns, because it is a day set aside to reflect on how vital women are to the world. But Eve Devonec, a student from France, said she thinks men should also have an international day. "I think men should do the same," Devonec (graduate-environmental engineering) said. "I think the women's community here is very active, but I don't see the equivalent from the men."