RIT celebrates International Women’s Day March 8

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A. Sue Weisler

RIT celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8 with a tulip giveaway in the Student Alumni Union.

International Women’s Day is officially recognized by the United Nations on March 8—and students, faculty and staff at Rochester Institute of Technology are joining the celebration.

From noon to 2 p.m. Friday, March 8, RIT will host a tulip giveaway in the Student Alumni Union lobby honoring the contributions of women on campus and around the world. The event is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts’ Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the International Education Committee, as well as RIT’s Center for Women and Gender. In addition to the flower giveaway, information will be available relevant to women’s issues, programming, groups, services and initiatives.

The United Nations’ theme for this year’s international recognition is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day in 1975 as a result of the growing international women’s movement, and has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in political and economic arenas.

“This event is about celebrating women, women at RIT and women in the world,” says Silvia Benso, professor of philosophy and event co-organizer. “This day, colorful tulips will be associated with life, hope, diversity, interconnections and strength, and are a sign of the need to recognize, value, fairly reward and respect everyone’s contributions, especially women’s.”