'Sister, Cis-ter!' theme for Ball State Women's Week 2015

The Women and Gender Studies department will host events throughout campus as part of Women's Week 2015.

The theme is titled "Sister, Cis-ter!," a spin-off of the 90s television series to unify women and call for diversity. The annual celebration will feature lectures, discussions, music, art and theater during the last week of March, Women’s History Month.

Events will focus on women of note in a number of subjects. Some of the events include Women in Music, Indiana Women of Achievement and Women in the Workplace. These events are a time for celebration and recognition, said Ashleigh Bingham, Women’s Week coordinator.

“There’s a little slogan called ‘Support your sisters, not just your cis-ters’ which is saying love all women, support all women, whether they’re cisgender, genderqueer, transgender, LGBT. We used a 90s retro feel as a playful way to say this is how we’re supporting all women,” said Ashleigh Bingham, social psychology grad student.

Cis-ter refers to the term "cisgender," defined as people who identify as their biological gender: for instance, a woman born with ovaries and a uterus who identifies as female, explains Bingham.

One of the week’s intentions is to honor women without categorizing them by noting titles and accomplishment rather than identity. A typical women’s week might have a seminar on women of color or women in LGBT community, which may separate women, said Bingham.

“I wanted women to say, ‘I’m really interested in this’ and there would be an event for it. There’s women in poverty, women in publishing, women in poetry,” said Bingham. Some other events include a Women in Poverty panel, a Women in Disabilities panel, an Intimate Partner Violence workshop and a Fat Positivity workshop.

Monday’s events kick off the week with a Women in Art seminar featuring Carol Rosetti, a feminist artist that uses drawing with narratives to empower women.

A rendition of the well-known play “Vagina Monologues,” written by Eve Ensler, will also take place Saturday as a wrap-up for the week. The play is sponsored by Feminists for Action, who started planning for the play in the fall, said Alex Kincaid, Feminists for Action member.

“[Ensler] went around doing what she calls ‘vagina interviews’, where she interviewed hundreds of women from all walks of life, different ages, cultures, things like that to get their experience growing up as a woman in the world,” said Nicole Mansfield, senior psychology major and director of the play.

Mansfield has performed in Vagina Monologues for the past two years, and this is her first year directing the show. She has not directed any plays before.

“It’s all about the problems that women face all over the world. They talk about international issues as well as issues that affect women in the United States. Ensler wrote the monologues by going up to women and saying, ‘How do you feel about your vagina?’ which seems kind of weird but it’s such a great concept,” said Kincaid.

Even though the week addresses a variety of women, the search for variety does not stop there. Inclusion is an overall goal for all genders, including men, said Bingham.

“It’s always vital to have men at these women’s issues events,” said Bingham. "Men can be the greatest allies in circumstances where women are being discriminated against and we need their support."

Bingham is not alone in her sentiment. Women’s Week hopes to not only empower women, but also to empower men to empower women, said Kincaid.

“Men are hesitant to attend these things and I don’t want that. To me, it’s like, 'Show, don’t tell. Show me that you believe in equality. Go to something like this. Take a step back and hear something from a woman’s perspective and change your outlook,'” said Kincaid.

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