Clarion University will host Equity Week 2016 Nov. 7-10, with daily events guided by the theme, “Gender Equity: A Human Fight, not a Female Fight.”
Sarah Jaffe and Rebecca Traister, both journalists and women’s rights activists, will speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and 10, respectively, in the Gemmell multi-purpose room. Additional events will include “Rising to the Challenge: Equity vs. Equality” at noon Nov. 8 in Suites on Main North, and the 22nd Annual Equity Dinner and Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in Gemmell MPR with speaker Dr. Kathleen McIntyre discussing “Gender Equity: A Human Fight, Not a Female Fight.” All events are part of the Mary L. Seifert Series and its 2016-17 theme "The United States of Gender," are free and are open to the public.
Jaffe is a Nation Institute fellow and an independent journalist who covers many topics
from labor and economic justice to social movements and gender. Some of her focuses
include student debt in higher education and the lack of pay equity in jobs that are
typically done by working class women.
"I try to bring out the voices that have been left out, forgotten and ignored historically," Jaffe said. "The particular issues that they magnify otherwise get left out of the conversation, and those tend to be women and people of color."
Her work has appeared in publications including the Washington Post, the Atlantic and many more. She also wrote "Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt."
"Sarah Jaffe's work on working class women seemed like an excellent fit to our series," said Dr. Kathleen McIntyre, director of women and gender studies at Clarion. "Jaffe brings an important class-based analysis of gender inequalities to the program."
Traister is a senior writer at Salon.com where she has covered women in media, politics
and entertainment since 2003. Her book, "Big Girls Don't Cry," is the result of her
well received coverage of the 2008 election from a feminist perspective with pieces
on Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, the role of women in the media and
the media's coverage of the candidates.
"Given the Seifert Series' theme and this historic presidential election, Traister was an ideal, provocative choice for speaker," said Dr. Kevan Yenerall, professor of political science. "Having her join the Clarion community two days after the election is tremendous.
"In particular, Traister's trenchant analysis of women, and in particular single women, in our politics, economy, culture and society could not be more timely, given the atmospherics of this mercurial, divisive and revelatory election year." Yenerall said.
Equity Week is sponsored by Student Senate, the Office of Social Equity, the Division of Student Affairs and the Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series Committee.