More than 400 students, staff, faculty and community members participated in Women’s Week events. Hosted March 5 -18, 2016, the event included movie screenings, panel discussions, art exhibits, keynote lectures, athletic events and technology centered event – all centered around the mission of empowering women.

“I think it is important to spend time celebrating women and having women come together as a community and lift each other up rather than tear each other down. I feel that so many women feel isolated from other women in our society and Women’s Week gives women an opportunity to bond, celebrate our accomplishments, and empower each other,” said Rae Thomas, a senior psychology major and programming assistant in the Women’s Center.

A new event this year was the UNL Wiki Warriors Edit-A-Thon. This event taught women how to edit and create online articles from the women’s perspective. Only roughly 12 percent of the editors of Wikipedia are female, meaning the coverage of women’s contributions is limited. Over the course of the four-hour event, participants edited 51 articles to include women. Aspen Lincoln donated $5 to the YWCA Smart Girls Club for every entry completed, raising a total of $255.

“Through events like the Edit-A-Thon I have learned more about women’s experiences and how to empower women in the last two weeks than I have in my years here at school,” said Thomas.

To maximize resources and accomplish a week of such diverse activities, the Women’s Center partnered with more than 27 campus entities and local agencies. Some of the campus partnerships included a guest curated event at the Sheldon Art Museum, a hiking event with the Campus Recreation Outdoor Adventures Center, a panel discussion on sexual health and wellness with the University Health Center, and film screenings cosponsored by OASIS and the University Program Council.