Women From the QCC Community Share Their Stories for International Women's Day

International Women's Day has been celebrated on March 8, since the early 1900s.  This year QCC students, staff and faculty gathered to tell personal stories of their successes and struggles, discussing the structural barriers women have faced and continue to face, as well as how we can collectively overcome these barriers. 

S.H.E. (Support, Help and Encourage), sponsored the event, which included student speaker and Vice President of S.H.E. Reagan Condry, Vice President of External Affairs Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, Human Services Professor Brenda Safford and Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Kevin Lovaincy​. Student and S.H.E. member Lisa Sarfowaa also performed several inspiring poems.

Reagan shared her experience of growing up and feeling like she had to suppress her femininity because she had seen how it could be demonized in movies and television. When it came time for high school, she chose what she thought would be the farthest from what was percevied as feminine: an automotive technology program at a trade school. She recounted how her teacher gained the trust of the few females in the program, which seemed to be a supportive move at first, but eventually turned to sexual harassment.

This pattern continued after she graduated and encountered a similar situation while employed at a male-dominated car dealership. Reagan found the courage to speak up, but no action was taken.

"Women are socialized to not take up space. But it's ok to speak up, go to Human Resources. Your voice is important and you are important. We need to teach women that their safety is more important than someone else's feelings," Reagan said looking back on her experiences.

Vice President Abreu-Hernandez also shared her experiences as a woman growing up in a patriarchal society, as well as addressing data that showed how few women have positions of power in fortune 500 companies, and state and federal government, even though women make up over 50% of the U.S. population. While she faced many obstacles during her time in education and progressed in her career, she reflected on the success of her current position at QCC, where she has thoughtfully created an environment that supports and uplifts the women around her.

After giving some background on International Women's Day, Professor Safford praised the strides that have been made for women in areas such as equal pay, but acknowledged that there is still much work to be done to bring equity to women around the world. She also noted how important it is to continue a discourse around issues that affect women and how crucial it is for all women to be included, no matter their race, sexual orientation or ability.

"Lived experience is when a person has lived through a problem that is going to be solved. Sharing our lived experiences can elevate important issues, and create community and empowerment. This contributes to collective action towards social change," said Safford.