Mount Holyoke and
Smith Colleges
June 10-13, 2008
South Hadley, MA and
Northampton, MA, USA
After two years of planning, Women's Education Worldwide (WEW) hosted its first Student Leadership Conference June 10-13 on the Mount Holyoke campus. More than 70 young women from 17 countries and 23 women's colleges came together as strangers; when they parted three days later, it was as sisters.
Students and chaperones traveled from five continents to take part in the nonstop program of leadership and skill-building workshops, communal dinners and get-to-know-you sessions, karaoke and dancing, a trip to Smith College for dinner with president Carol Christ, shopping in downtown Northampton, and even a bonfire. As they bonded with one another and learned new skills, each of the participants developed personal projects that they will implement in their home countries this fall.
"You are the fulfillment of our dream, and you have exceeded our expectations," MHC president Joanne V. Creighton told the participants. "The great unfinished agenda of the twenty-first century is the education of girls and women … (and) when women are educated, all of society benefits."
Conceived in 2003 by the leaders of Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, WEW was organized to foster exchange among colleges and universities and to advocate for the education of women. Conference participants compared educational opportunities and literacy rates for women in their home countries, as well as economic resources, political power and voice, feminist histories, and the gradual reshaping of their cultures.
Keynote speaker Elizabeth Cole, professor of women's studies and psychology at the University of Michigan, warned students not to "presume common interests and experiences based just on being women." Not only do the experiences of women in first- and third-world countries differ; women within the same country can have dramatically different lives, she said.
"The dream of global sisterhood is so appealing because it sounds so simple, but even within one country women can have different experiences," Cole said. "There is no one kind of women's politics…. We must craft ways to work across differences."
Patricia VandenBerg, executive director of MHC communications and strategic initiatives, gave the students a practical lesson on inspiring leadership through verbal, visual, and vocal expression. Drawing on her own background in theatre, VandenBerg advised the students to "stand like you're somebody," make eye contact, and speak in low, confident tones.
"Your body is believed more than your words," she advised. "When you're not confident, or you're afraid, that's when you really need these tools."
Workshop leaders engaged students on various leadership topics and in discussions of global feminism, women in science, environmental issues, student government, technology, the history of women's colleges, and spiritual peace and faith.
"The sessions were informative as well as enjoyable, and really allowed us to learn not only about the topics presented at each session, but about one another: our viewpoints, our future goals, or even what kind of flavor of ice cream we like best," said Ari Chadwick Saund '08, one of the group leaders from Mount Holyoke.
Medical student Gihad Elsadig Abunafeesa confessed she was feeling "burned out" from her work at home in Sudan and hesitated about traveling to the United States for the WEW conference--until she heard it was "for women."
"You get so tired and exhausted, and you feel alone sometimes," she said. "But when you come to something like this, it reinvigorates you and gives you the courage to take the next step…. We gain strength from and inspire each other."
Abunafeesa, who fled to Canada from Sudan as a refugee and has since returned to her homeland, will draw from her WEW experience as she tackles her personal project--training Sudanese women in health care so they can, in turn, provide basic care to their families and communities. Sophie McGrath, a student at the University of Sydney, will establish an after-school literacy program for indigenous Australians, who often lag behind their white classmates; Jessi Moza developed an educational program to promote better nutrition and decrease rates of anemia at home in Delhi, India.
"This multicultural experience has been life changing. It has helped me to see so many perspectives," said Spelman College student Camille Burney. "The most inspiring thing has been talking to women from less-fortunate places such as Sudan. They go forward with a strength of mind, focused on the task at hand no matter what."
"I've built such a network here," said Nitika Lal, a student at India's Lady Shri Ram College for Women. "I plan to keep in touch with everyone--and use this network."
"These have been the best days of my life," added Smith student Margaret-Avis Akofio Sowah. "There are so many places I want to visit now!"
Conference leaders Beth Gibney Boulden (MHC associate director of student programs), Julianne Ohotnicky (Smith College dean of students), and Jesse Lytle (assistant to the president and secretary of the College for MHC and coordinator of WEW) presented participants with certificates during an emotional and high-spirited closing ceremony, during which students cheered each other and posed for hundreds of digital photographs.
"Thank you for your compassion, your open minds, and all of your gifts," Boulden told them. "You've changed this week--we all have. Now we return to our daily lives with a new commitment…. We all believe you will accomplish great things."
Related Links:
Conference Details:
About WEW
