Calendar of Events
Everywoman's Center organizes, sponsors, and co-sponsors a wide variety of events for the Five-College community, typically during the academic year.
For information on all EWC events call 413-545-0883
Fall 2008
Motherwoman Presents: A Family Election Event! (and Onsies Party!)
October 18, 2008 from 8:30-12:00
Media Education Foundaton; Masonic Street, Northampton
Event Schedule
8:30–9am: schmooze, food provided by Woodstar Café.
9–10am: A showing of the powerful, engaging film “The Motherhood Manifesto” about the political economy of parenthood in America.
10–11am: The film screening will be followed by discussion. Representatives from the Obama and McCain campaigns have been invited to be there to answer your questions about laws and policies that would help parents, families and children.
11–12noon: Decorate baby "onesies" with messages about our hopes and dreams for our children and families, and the need for a family friendly America
These onesies will be displayed at the event on a clothesline and locally as part of the national MomsRising.org Onesie Project which is designed to increase public awareness of the need for a more family friendly America. MotherWoman is a mother’s support and family advocacy organization. Our mission is to support and empower mothers to create positive personal and social change for ourselves, our families, our communities and the world.MomsRising of the Pioneer Valley is our political arm which is affiliated with the national MomsRising.org movement. .
For more information contact Chrystel Romero @253-8990
Women and the Vote: Use It or Lose It!**
October 2, 2008 at 4:00
Campus Center Room 917 University of Massachusetts
On August 26, 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified by one vote and after more then 70 years of struggle, women in the United States were finally allowed to vote. How do we honor the women who fought for our right to participate in this democratic process? How will the up-coming Presidential election affect the lives of women? How will it impact your life? Are you registered to vote?
On October 2, 2008, Professor Joyce Averch Berkman, Professor of History and Women's Studies, (UMass Amherst), will provide a brief overview of the long fight for women's suffrage and the importance of women's participation in this years election. We will view selections from the award winning film, One Woman, One Vote, which documented this struggle, including why the entrenched opposition feared that the women's vote would ignite a social revolution. Carol Rothery from the League of Women Voters will describe their current work to preserve and promote this right and also conduct voter registration. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this compelling election! Come and register to vote!
(**Your Political Power!)
For more information contact: Everywoman's Center @ 545-0883
Cancelled: Women in Action: Nicaraguan Dance Ensemble
October 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Due to the death of a close family member and friend of the group, the Nicaraguan Women's Folkloric Dance group cannot complete its US tour and has returned to NIcaragua. Thus, their performance is cancelled that was scheduled for FRIDAY, OCT. 10 at the Newman Center at UMass.
An alternative event for those who want to know more about the group, and their work, will take place instead at 7pm FRIDAY, OCT. 10 at the home of Millie Thayer and Rosa Oviedo in Leverett. This will be an open community fundraising dinner benefit for the Nicaraguan Women in Action group and Feminist Aid to Central America. Rebecca Rideout, who was involved in making a film about the projects of the Women in Action group in Managua, Nicaragua, will be there to show the DVD and lead a discussion afterwards. Sliding scale donations will be requested.
Millie Thayer and Rosa Oviedo's home is in Leverett and they can be contacted at 549-6066. For more information, call Ann Ferguson 413-367-2310
Women and Self-Defense
Session is FULL
September 16 and September 18 from 4:00-5:30
Newman Center on the UMass Amherst campus
On September 16 and September 18, 2008 Everywoman Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will host Janet Aalfs, head instructor and director of the Valley Women's Martial Arts, (VWMA), who will facilitate a two part Women and Self-Defense workshop from 4:00-5:30. Valley Women’s Martial Arts, a not-for-profit school founded in 1977, provides introductory and ongoing instruction for women and girls, and community programs for women, children and men at locations throughout the area in an encouraging and friendly environment for participants of all ages.
The workshop will combine external and internal martial arts practice, assertiveness training, and discussion of the issues involved in learning effective methods for self-protection and violence prevention. It will be held in the Newman Center, is free and open to the public. Pre-registration and attendance at both sessions is required and space is limited. To register please contact: Sandy Mandel at smandel@admin.umass.edu or 545-5827 and leave your name, phone number and email.
Community Youth Outreach Event
October 16, 2008 from 11:30am to 4:30pm
Amherst town center between Barts Ice Cream and Raos Coffee Shop
EWC's Community Education Program and Teen Specialized services are hosting our annual
community youth awareness event at Boltwood walk (between Barts and Raos) in Amherst on October 16th. Come and view the Pioneer Valley Youth Clothesline Project, a collection of T-shirts created by teens in the Pioneer Valley that illustrate the effects that violence has had on their lives.
Come and check out some local resources for youth, share some snacks, and have some fun.
This event will be cancelled in the event of rain
For more information contact Tanya Kachwaha 577-6351 ; Nina Brand 577-0752
Spring 2008
PUSHED: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity
A discussion with author Jennifer Block
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 7:00
Food for Thought Books; 106 N.Pleasant Street; Amherst
In Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, Block reports on the current state of maternity care across the country, from inside the operating room of a hospital with a 44% cesarean rate to the living room floor of a woman who gives birth in a kiddie pool with an illegal midwife. Pushed is not a pregnancy guide, but rather a narrative investigation of modern American childbirth.
Jennifer Block has been a journalist for eight years, writing and editing for magazines and news weeklies, frequently covering women's health and politics and the intersection of the two. Her work has appeared in the Village Voice, Ms., The Nation, Salon.com, Mother Jones, ELLE, and Plenty. Her investigative pieces have tackled such provocative issues as police harassment of street prostitutes, rape in the military, abortion tourism, and the politics of sex ed. A former editor at Ms. magazine, Jennifer was also a senior editor at the eco-lifestyle magazine Plenty and served as an editor of the revised classic, Our Bodies, Ourselves. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
This event is co-sponsored by Food for Thought Books, Motherwoman and Everywoman's Center and is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information contact: Food for Thought Books at 253-5432.
EQUAL PAY DAY AT UMASS!
EVELYN MURPHY, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL WAGE PROJECT
CECELIE COUNTS, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE, AFL-CIO
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 12:00pm
Cape Cod Lounge Student Union Building, UMass/Amherst
On April 23, 2008 Everywoman’s Center and the UMass Labor Center will host Dr. Evelyn Murphy, President of the National WAGE Project author Getting Even: Why Women Don’t Get Paid Like Men and What To Do About It!, who will be speaking about the reality of current wage discrimination against women in the United States and what we can do about it at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Cecelia Counts, Legislative Representative for the AFL-CIO will speak on the status of federal pay equity legislation. A light lunch will be provided.
Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. The day, observed in April, symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year.The wage gap is even greater for most women of color. Women working full time - not part time, not on maternity leave still earn only 77 cents for every full-time male dollar, and nothing has changed in more then a decade.
Here is what it looks like over a lifetime:
• If you're a young woman who graduated last summer from high school, you will earn $700,000 less than the young man standing in line with you to get his diploma over your working life.
• If you graduated from college, you'll lose $1.2 million compared to the man getting his degree along with you.
• If you graduated from law school, medical school, or got an MBA last summer, you’ll lose $2 million over your lifetime.
These gender wage gap calculations are figured by comparing the earnings of all women who work full-time with the earnings of all men who work full-time. It's unfair, its discrimination and it's illegal!
Come to this important gathering to hear these dynamic speakers address the legacy and current reality of wage discrimination! This event is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. Additional sponsors include: Women’s Studies, Social Thought and Political Economy, the Political Economy Research Institute, and the Status of Women Council.
For more information: call 413-545-0883 or www.umass.edu
Rythea Lee: Truth into Trauma
Tuesday, April 16, 2008 at 7:00
Food for Thought Books; 106 N.pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 253-5432
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, (April), Everywoman’s Center and Food for Thought Books present local artist and author Rythea Lee, who will perform excerpts from her autobiographical book, Trauma into Truth: Gutsy Healing and Why it’s Worth It! Trauma into Truth chronicles Rythea’s own recovery and healing from childhood sexual abuse. The book was written in response to the common questions asked about what healing from trauma looks like. The book also explores the long terms benefits of stepping onto a path of healing and self-responsibility.As described by one survivor, "Rythea Lee has gone beyond recovery - she's used her difficult life experiences to create something utterly beautiful. Not to mention funny, strong, kind and hopeful”.
Rythea Lee is a performance artist who integrates dance, clowning, spoken word, music and monologue into her public pieces. She is one of the two members of Zany Angels Dance and Theatre Company, whose mission is to produce skilled, heart centered performances that ignite personal healing and social change. Rythea earned her BFA at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She holds an MA in Spiritual Psychology and specializes in working with survivors of abuse and trauma.
For more information contact 545-0883 or www.umass.edu/ewc
Truth and Testimony: A Public Hearing with the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 from 7:00-9:00 PM
Campus Center 904-909
In Honor of International Women's Month, Everywoman's Center invites all interested individuals and organizations to provide truth and testimony regarding the status of women's lives in Massachusetts!
On March 26, 2008, Everywoman’s Center will the host a public hearing with the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. This gathering will be held in campus center 904-908 from 7:00-9:00. The purpose of these hearings is for the MCSW Commissioners and staff to listen to the voices of women and girls within the Commonwealth regarding the status of their lives within Massachusetts. The MCSW and EWC invite all individuals or organizations who are interested to attend this public hearing and to provide both verbal and written testimony. A summary report of all the given testimony will be developed and sent to the Commission's appointing authorities, and the legislators in the region where the hearing was held and will be used to create changes in public policy and legislation in order to improve the status of women in Massachusetts. Participants can sign-up to provide testimony that evening and it is also possible to reserve a time to testify in advance @ www.umass.edu/ewc. Recommended time for each presentation is between three and five minutes.
This event is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information contact Everywoman Center @ 413-545-0883
The mission of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is to provide a permanent, effective voice for women across Massachusetts. The Commission stands for fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the full enjoyment for all woman throughout their lives.For more information about the MCSW please visit www.mass.gov/women or call 617-626-6520.
Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth
Thursday, March 13 at 7:00
Food for Thought Books; 106 Pleasant Street in Amherst
For decades, women have found the most honest and up-to-date information about women’s health issues from the trusted tome Our Bodies, Ourselves. Now, the famous nonprofit Boston Women’s Health Book Collective has released Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy & Birth (March 2008, Simon & Schuster), an essential resource for women who want to make wise, informed decisions about their health and the health of their babies. On Thursday, March 13th, at 7pm, Food for Thought Books, the Everywoman’s Center, and MotherWoman will welcome the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective to western Massachusetts to celebrate this important contribution. Several editors and contributors, including BWHBC co-founder Judy Norsigian, co-editor Kiki Zeldes, and co-author Julie Feineland, will discuss the new volume and sign books at Food for Thought Books, 106 North Pleasant Street, Amherst. A reception will follow.
Pregnancy and birth are as ordinary and extraordinary as breathing, thinking, or loving. But as soon as a woman announces she’s expecting, she may be bombarded with advice from every angle -- well-meaning friends, relatives, medical professionals, even strangers want to weigh in on what she should or shouldn't do, and she could easily feel overwhelmed by their conflicting recommendations. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth is a guide meant to help sort fact from fiction, offering the most accurate research, up-to-date information, and the firsthand experiences of numerous women who have experienced pregnancy and birth. This new volume presents the tools needed in order to stay healthy during and after pregnancy, from tips on eating well during pregnancy to strategies for coping with stress and depression. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth covers the ins and outs of:
• Choosing a good healthcare provider
• Selecting a place of birth
• Understanding pre-natal testing
• Coping with labor pain
• Speeding your physical recovery
• Adjusting to life as a new mother
Award winning journalist Deepa Fernandes and Targeted: Homeland Security and the Business of Immigration
Sunday, March 2 at 4:00pm
Food for Thought Books; 106 Pleasant Street in Amherst
Free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible
On Sunday, March 2, 2008 Deepa Fernandes, an award winning journalist and radio host, will offer an update on the most recent developments around immigration policy and the way the immigration debate figures into this years presidential election, as well as a discussion of book her book Targeted. This new publication is the result of four years of research collecting narratives from immigrants as well as human rights groups, community organizers and lawyers who are challenging the Bush Administration's policies.
American Dream or American Nightmare?
America has always portrayed itself as a country of immigrants, welcoming each year the millions seeking a new home or refuge in this land of plenty. Increasingly, instead of finding their dream, many encounter a nightmare—a country whose culture and legal system aggressively target and prosecute them. Fernandes—herself an immigrant, is well-acquainted with U.S. immigration procedure and takes the reader on a harrowing journey inside the new American immigrant experience and the creation of an "Industrial Immigration Complex".
DEEPA FERNANDES is co-director of the People’s Production House, a media justice organization based in New York City and Washington, DC. Her award winning radio features have aired on the BBC World Service, and Public Radio International. Her writings have appeared in the Village Voice, In These Times, and the New York Amsterdam News.
For more information contact: Erika Arthur, 413-253-5432 or erika@foodforthoughtbooks.com,
Where's Love 101: Managing Conflict in Loving Relationships
Wednesday, February 20th at 6:00pm
Campus Center room 168; University of Massachusetts/Amherst
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and love is in the air. But what happens when Cupid and conflict collide? Learn how to disagree without damaging your relationship at a panel discussion. In “Where’s Love 101: Managing Conflict in Loving Relationships,” long-term couples and experts will share insights on constructive disagreement, conflict resolution, apologies, communication skills and more. The evening will open with a skit from “Body Politics 2007,” a production created by the Women of Color Leadership Network; there’ll also be free refreshments and door prizes.
Panelists include: La Wanza Lett-Brewington and Dwayne Brewington; Joyce and Leonard Berkman; and Jodie Shapiro and Joanne Gold. La Wanza Lett-Brewington is Executive Director of Safe Passage in Northampton. Dwayne Brewington directs the Men’s Resource Center at Capitol Community College in Hartford, CT. They have been partners for 21 years and married for 16. Joyce Berkman is a researcher, author and UMass Amherst history professor whose work focuses on women’s history. Leonard Berkman is a professor of theatre at Smith College. They have been together more than 40 years. Jodie Shapiro is an educator, musician, poet and political activist, and directs a program for individuals with traumatic brain injuries. Joanne Gold is a dental hygienist, teacher, clay artist and singer with the Amandla Community Chorus. Parents of a 13-year-old daughter, they have been partners for 32 years and married for four. For more information, call (413) 545-1671 or 545-0883.
An Afternoon of Poetry
Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Jones Library Trustees Room; Amherst, Massachusetts.
An Afternoon of Poetry:Featuring: Lynne Thompson and Nikky Finney with Keli Stewart, Kim Rogers, Laurie Guerrero, & Karen Johnston. Food For Thought Books, Perugia Press, Jones Library, and Everywoman’s Center present an afternoon of powerful poetry by six distinctly voiced truth-tellers. We’ll feature Lynne Thompson, reading from her 2007 Perugia Press Prize winning book, Beg No Pardon, and Nikky Finney, Poet-in-Residence at Smith College, Keli Stewart, Kim Rogers, Laurie Guerrero, and Karen Johnston. Free, open to the public and whellchair accessible.
Fall 2007
click here to view the events we had in Fall 2007
Spring 2007
click here to view the events we had in spring 2007
