Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will recognize Women’s History Month throughout March with a slate of events that highlights chapters in women’s history, facilitates inspiring guest speakers, addresses women’s issues and celebrates women leaders.

The festivities kick off March 4 with a Women’s History Month trivia night, offering a light evening of learning women’s history and friendly competition. Later that same week on March 7, PNW’s College of Nursing will host a Women’s Historical Health Achievements tabling event. Nursing students and faculty will offer educational resources on pertinent topics for college-age women, including stress relief, eating habits, physical activity and breast cancer awareness.

Several PNW Women’s History Month events are open to the public and reflect various themes. Time, date, location and registration information can be found at pnw.edu/womens-history.

Lifting up women leaders

Several PNW Women’s History Month events will include forums for inspiring women speakers and leaders to candidly share details about their professional journeys as women, as well as impart their advice for professional peers and students.

The marquee panel, Unleashing Empowerment, will come together on March 28 starting at 4 p.m. This inaugural leadership panel and networking event will welcome back three impactful alumnae to Alumni Hall on PNW’s Hammond campus to recount their career challenges and successes. The three panelists include Constance Adams (AS ’85, BS ’93, MS ’09, DNP ‘20), Linda Nethery (BS ’84) and Sandra Patino (MA ‘19).

The subtitle for the event is “Stepping Outside of the Box,” an allusion to storyline elements from the 2023 critically acclaimed Barbie film encouraging women to confidently pursue career choices that are fulfilling to them, as well as increase women’s representation and leadership in the professional world.

“We look forward to welcoming back our esteemed alumnae to energize our campus community with their inspirational personal stories,” said Katie Holderby, director of Alumni Engagement at PNW. “We want to share infectious confidence-building messages to event attendees so that they may be motivated to take the next steps in their professional journeys. Whether here at PNW or around Northwest Indiana, participants should take away the message that they have a supportive community of women behind them.”

On March 21 the Leadership Institute and Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest will host the second annual Women on the Rise reception starting at 4:30 p.m. at PNW’s Westville campus. Twenty-four local women  leaders and entrepreneurs will be recognized for how they shape business, guide communities and encourage economic growth in the region’s communities. Women on the Rise is a ticketed event.

An annual PNW Women’s History Month campus tradition is the Women’s Leadership Luncheon, taking place on March 19. The luncheon recognizes incredible examples of leadership among women at PNW, as well as celebrating the inspirational careers of student leaders in particular. Chelsea Whittington (MA ‘96), an independent public relations consultant, Gary native and PNW alumna, will serve as keynote speaker. Attendance is by invitation only.

Supporting and advocating for women

PNW campus community members and the public are invited to participate in a playful confrontation of gender stereotypes through “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” on March 21 starting at 5 p.m. The national campaign helps raise awareness concerning sexual violence by asking event participants, particularly men, to wear heeled shoes and walk a mile-long route.

To help take an additional step in support of survivors of sexual violence, participants are encouraged to also register for the PNW Honors College’s annual 5K. Each academic year PNW’s Honors College completes a philanthropic and volunteer activity in support of a local nonprofit. The Honors College is benefitting Fair Haven Rape Crisis Center of Northwest Indiana for the 2023-24 academic year. All 5K registration proceeds will directly benefit the advocacy center. Honors College members can help participants register on-site. Registration can also be completed online at pnw.edu/honors-5k.

Throughout March PNW campus members are encouraged to help alleviate period poverty on campus by donating menstrual hygiene products to the PNW Food Pantry. Period poverty, the inability to afford menstrual hygiene products, can impact women’s academic progress, professional opportunities and personal self-esteem. Period poverty impacts 1 in 5 first-generation students, twice the rate of students who are not the first in their families to attend college.

Drop-off boxes for period products will be available at all PNW’s Women’s History Month events. Period products can also be dropped off at a PNW Food Pantry location.

Reflecting on women’s history

PNW’s department of History, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, as part of its “History Matters” speaker series, presents Nuclear America: 1960s Women Protesting the Bomb on March 20 beginning at 12:30 p.m. Kathy Tobin, professor of History, will share how women organizers’ protests have influenced American history, with particular attention to women that opposed nuclear weapons development and testing in the mid-20th century due to their harmful environmental impact.