Women and Public Policy Week

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) will host its annual Women and Public Policy (WPP) Week on March 2 - 8.

Women and Public Policy Week will bring together the voices and expertise of UNO faculty, staff and students, community partners, and policymakers to discuss issues related to women and public policy across the city, state, nation and world.

Monday, March 2

Women’s Policy Forum
11:30 A.M. - 1 P.M.
201/205/209 CEC

The University of Nebraska at Omaha and Women's Fund of Omaha invite you to join us for a conversation with nine members of the Nebraska Legislature for a discussion around issues related to economic security and leadership, freedom from violence, health care, and other issues affecting women in the state of Nebraska. State Senators in attendance will include Senator Carol Blood, Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, Senator Sue Crawford, Senator Wendy DeBoer, Senator Sara Howard, Senator Megan Hunt, Senator Lou Ann Linehan, Senator Patty Pansing Brooks, and Senator Anna Wishart. The panel will be moderated by UNO graduate student Hameidah Alsafwani and undergraduate student Aya Yousuf. Lunch will be served. This event is co-sponsored by the Women's Fund of Omaha and a UNO Civic Participation Grant.

**Due to a high demand for tickets, this event is now sold out. If you are interested in reserving a space on the waitlist to receive a ticket in the event of ticket cancellations, please RSVP below to add your name to the waitlist.

RSVP for this Event

Contact: Dr. Jodi Benenson, University of Nebraska at Omaha, jbenenson@unomaha.edu

UNO Criss Library Voter Registration Drive
11 A.M. - 2 P.M.
Criss Library

Join UNO Criss Library staff for a voter registration drive! Several staff members are deputy registrars, and will use this time to provide students with information about voting rights, candidates, and the voting process, as well as deliver competed registration forms to the Douglas County Election Commission following the drive.

Contact: Jason Heppler, University of Nebraska at Omaha, jheppler@unomaha.edu

The Effect of Public Policy on Human Trafficking
1:30 - 3:30 P.M.
231 CEC

Organized by the Women’s Center for Advancement, this panel will go over the effects of human trafficking in our work per our agencies. Panelists will discuss which policies have affected human trafficking for better or for worse. Each panelist will give a brief description of their work as well. We will also take questions from the audience about human trafficking.

Contact: Lizzie Hudson, Women’s Center for Advancement, lizzieh@wcaomaha.org

Tuesday, March 3

Omaha Table Talk: #MeToo on the Margins
11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
201/205/209 CEC

Join Inclusive Communities for a conversation centering those people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence and gender based violence, but whose stories are not always centered in the conversation.  Our panel will be moderated by A.M. Bobby Brumfield and our panelists include J. Dominique Sierra, Marisa Casillas and Rachel Pointer.  A free lunch will be provided during the panel and a facilitated community discussion will proceed.

RSVP for this Event

Contact: Katherine MacHolmes, Inclusive Communities, katherine@inclusive-communities.org

Human Rights Forum: The Equal Rights Amendment
Noon - 1 P.M.
132 CPACS

This Goldstein Center Human Rights Forum will invite three UNO faculty to discuss Virginia's recent ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the impending court battle over whether the amendment can be adopted, and what the ERA means for women's civil and human rights. The forum will last for one hour and feature brief informative presentations as well as Q&A. 

Contact: Laura Alexander, lealex@unomaha.edu, Goldstein Center for Human Rights

Film Screening: “Hands On: Women, Climate, Change”
7 P.M., doors open at 6:45 P.M.
KANEKO-UNO, 1111 Jones St. Omaha, NE (Parking at 11^th and Jackson)

Hands-on profiles five women from four continents tackling climate change through policy, protest, education and innovation. The film powerfully demonstrates how women are transferring knowledge and local networks into hands-on strategies. This 48-minute collaborative documentary offers unique perspectives across cultures and generations.

Contact: Kristina Hughes, UNO Sustainability Coordinator, kristinahughes@unomaha.edu

Wednesday, March 4

More Than the Binary: UNO Dialogue Project
4 P.M.
MBSC Reddick Room

In collaboration with the Inclusive Communities and the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, the Women and Gender Equity Center will be hosting Kai Davis, a nationally renowned queer woman of Color poet. Participants will engage with the complications of gender identity and related policies in a creative way. The first hour will be poetry and knowledge via Kai Davis. Then, participants will gather in small groups to learn more from each other. Free food and drinks will be provided.

RSVP for this event

Contact: Jessi Hitchins, Ph.D., Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, jhitchins@unomaha.edu

"Knock down the House": A Night of Celebration for Women in Politics
7 - 9 P.M.
010A Roskens

What would you do if your representative in congress was backing bills that caused health issues in your community because they were receiving lobbyist funds? What if they didn’t even live in the area they are supposed to represent? Four women have faced these issues in their voting districts and they chose to take action in the strongest way possible; by running for their representative’s seat in grass-root movements. Come join the League of Women voters and the  Public Administration Student Association (PASA) for a screening of “Knock down the House” Wednesday, March 4th . Hosted by Angela Gifford, the screening will take place from 7-9pm in Roskens 010A. In addition to the film showing, voter registration will occur aided by the League of Women voters for any interested event attendees. Snacks will also be available. See you then!

Contact: Angela Gifford, UNO Graduate Student, agifford@unomaha.edu

Thursday, March 5

Empowering Self-Promotion: Control Your Own Narrative
11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.
132 CPACS

This two-hour event will consist of a one-hour presentation about personal branding and broadening your network within and beyond the institution. This presentation will be followed by a workshop for attendees to work on creating their own professional webpage through https://unomaha.community/. Experts will facilitate the workshop and provide technical support.

Contact: Anne Karabon, Ph.D., WiSTEM Pro², akarabon@unomaha.edu

Protecting Our Democracy: How the ACLU Fights Voter Suppression
4 - 5 P.M.
UNO Criss Library

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. The ACLU works to protect democracy by challenging barriers to the ballot box proposed by the legislature and communities, educating the public about their rights and ensuring all candidates and ballot committees have a fair shot.

Come by Criss Library on March 5 from 4pm to 5pm to hear from Allie Curttright of the ACLU on voting rights in Nebraska. Learn about some of the issues the ACLU advocates for and what your rights are as a voter. Food and refreshments will be provided. 

Contact: Dr. Jason Heppler, UNO Criss Library, jheppler@unomaha.edu