Empowered Women’s Week events to hit Athens campus

Empowered Women’s Week 2014, an event hosted by Ohio University’s Empowering Women of Ohio, will take place this week in an effort to celebrate and show solidarity with women’s rights and feminist activists across campus.The week’s events will play out in an effort to disseminate the group’s objectives by raising awareness of issues concerning the LGBT, women’s and civil rights movements.Events such as a paneled discussion of gender, protest and new media will complement a “Support our Survivors Walk,” and a live performance from the critically acclaimed musical-comedy duo Reformed Whores.Birth-control advocate Sandra Fluke will give the week’s keynote address Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Baker University Center. Fluke was thrust into national dialogue in 2012 when discussion of her testimony on the importance of mandating contraception coverage in medical-insurance plans to House Democrats was picked up by talk-radio personality Rush Limbaugh.Limbaugh went on to revile Fluke using intentionally sexist and pejorative terms, decrying her as a “slut” and “prostitute.” Fluke has since become a face of the modern women’s rights movement in America.  Fluke has recently detailed her own political ambitions by announcing her intent to run for a California State Senate seat.All Empowered Women’s Week events are free and open to the public. More information related to each event can be found on the Facebook page.Here is a complete schedule of events:Monday, Feb. 24: Paneled discussion from the Center for Law, Justice and Culture on issues of “gender, protest and new media in a global context.” The panel will feature Pashmina Murthy from Kenyon College, discussing protests of rape culture in India; Ashley Currier of University of Cincinnati discussing LGBT organizing in Namibia and South Africa; and Nihal Said of Ohio University discussing street and sexual harassment in Egypt. The panel will be in Baker 231 from 4 to 6 p.m.Tuesday, Feb. 25: Critically acclaimed comedy-music duo Reformed Whores will perform in Baker Theatre. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.Wednesday, Feb. 26: Miss Northwestern Ohio Kara Mitchell will deliver a presentation hosted by the LGBT Center on coming out as a lesbian in the pageant world. 1804 Lounge, Baker University Center. 6 to 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.Thursday, Feb. 27: The Women’s Center will host its weekly brown bag lunch discussion from noon to 1 p.m. The topic is “Women in Comedy: Gender, Feminism and Vagina Jokes.”Sandra Fluke will also present her keynote address Thursday from 7-9 p.m. in Baker 240.Friday, Feb. 28: The Ohio University Survivor Advocacy Program will lead its “Support our Survivors Walk.” The walk aims to welcome survivors of all varieties (sexual or domestic abuse, eating disorders, hate crimes, etc.) to walk together in solidarity. After the walk, Empowering Women of Ohio will host an after party at Jackie O’s from 6 to 7:30 p.m.