International Women's Week is a week of celebration, education, and awareness surrounding
women's and gender issues. Events for the 2024 program at Arkansas Tech will be taking
place March 2-7, 2026. This year's theme, is #GivetoGain.
Arkansas Tech University began celebrating Women's Week in 2013. Campus Life, Public
Safety, Academic Affairs, Health and Wellness, Title IX, and many other offices across
campus collaborate each year to make this week an empowering experience for women
at the university and in the Russellville community.
Check out our past Women's Week schedule of events:
Over the years, we have had noteworthy speakers including:
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Fort Smith Public Schools
- Dr. Tiffany Bone
Brigadier General - Tamhra Hutchins-Frye
Founder and CEO of Women EmpowerX - Alexa Rose Carlin
Former Arkansas Tech University President - Dr. Robin E Bowen
Founder and CEO of Headbands for Hope - Jessica Ekstrom
Entrepreneur and Author - Kristen Hadeed
Speaker and Life Coach - Stacy Nadeau
In 2024, we honored women by recognizing and celebrating what motivates them wth our
theme of Invest in Women: Count Her In.
In 2023 our past theme was - Like A Girl.
Women's Week Essay Contest
2023 wINNER - Lindsey Hover
In her essay, Lindsey states, “I want to change the way female athletes react to hearing someone say, “like a girl.”
Sadly, the meaning behind the phrase might not ever be anything other than an insult
but, that doesn’t mean girls have to take it as one.
If only when people say “you run like a girl” they were talking about Shelly- Anne
Fraser- Pryce a Jamaican sprinter who won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Games and the 2012 London Games. (Bozon,2022) In 2019, Shelly became the first
mother in 24 years to win a global 100m title, in 2013 she was voted the IAAF World
Athlete of the Year, and in 2014 she won the 60m world indoor title to become the
first female to ever hold world titles in four sprint events at the same time. (Bozon,2022)
To all the female track and field athletes, next time someone tells you that you “run
like a girl” I want you to assume they’re referring to Shelly-Anne Fraser - Pryce.
If only when people say you “play like a girl” they were referring to Serena Williams
a professional tennis player who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than anyone
else in the world (Britannica 2023) or Megan Rapinoe a professional soccer player
who has won two Women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019 (Britannica 2023). There are millions
of talented female athletes in the world.”
She ends her essay saying, “So, next time someone says you do anything “like a girl,” think of the world's greatest
female athletes and take it as a compliment because, after all, you are one.”
Women's Week Art Exhibit
If you have a passion or talent for artistry, we encourage you to submit your entry
for the 2023 Women's Week Art Exhibit. Students can submit any kind of work of art
to be displayed in the Norman Hall Exhibit from March 6-10, 2023. The work will be
judged throughout the week, and the winning students will be awarded prizes!
Concept: The subject matter should be about student interpretation of LIKEAGIRL. This may come from personal experience as well as social observation.
#ITSONUS - RALLY AGAINST VIOLENCE
Arkansas Tech University is committed to ending sexual assault and domestic violence.
We understand that the words and language we use can have a powerful impact on survivors
of sexual assault. Join us in saying IT'S ON US.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Kick off Women's Week at the Bell Tower with a rally against sexual and relationship
violence! People of all gender identities are invited to walk a mile for prevention
and to show your support of survivors of interpersonal violence. Male-identified people
are invited to don the famous red high heels in a visually stunning public statement
of listening, learning, allyship, and commitment. During the rally, participants will
hear from community members, observe ATU's first 'Clothesline Project' display and
meet representatives from campus and community partners such as the Ozark Rape Crisis
Center and River Valley Shelter. There will be light refreshments available as well
as free shirts while supplies last. This event is co-sponsored by SAB, Campus Life,
and the Title IX Office.
Monday, March 2 at 3:00 pm at the Bell Tower.
The Clothesline Project
Arkansas Tech University is a family, and as a family, we discuss difficult things,
including the heart-wrenching experiences of people in our community. The ATU Title
IX Office and Department of Campus Life will host the University's Clothesline Project
display. The Clothesline Project, founded in Cape Cod in 1990, began as a visual display
of violence perpetrated against women. Participants designed and displayed shirts that conveyed
either their personal experience with interpersonal violence or the experience of
a friend or family member who was unable to share their story. Over the decades, the
project has evolved to include all forms of interpersonal violence, and at ATU, we
welcome students, faculty, and staff of all gender identities to participate. Deadline to submit shirts is Friday, February 27, 2026, at 5 p.m. If you have missed
the deadline but still want to participate, please contact Megan Bell at 479-968-0276
or mbell11@atu.edu.
View the display on Monday, March 2 from 3-5 p.m. at the Bell Tower.
Join us during one of two sessions to design a shirt for a personal experience or
the experience of a friend or family member. We will have free blank shirts, art supplies,
and support staff on standby in case you need someone to talk to. February 23, from
7:00 am - 2:00 pm or February 24, from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm in Doc Bryan 242.
Can’t make it to our Clothesline Creation session? Stop by Doc Bryan Suite 233 to
pick up a blank shirt (while supplies last) and/or drop off a completed shirt. Shirts
can also be dropped off in the Health and Wellness Center in Doc Bryan 119 (across
from the Lecture Hall) or Doc Bryan 233. All drop-off locations are available from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Research indicates that 1 in 5 college students experiences intimate partner violence,
and oftentimes there are red flags when someone we know is in an abusive or unhealthy
relationship. The Red Flag Campaign uses a bystander intervention strategy to address
and prevent sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking on college campuses. The
campaign encourages friends and other campus community members to say something when
they see warning signs ("red flags") for sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking
in a friend’s relationship.
