The University of Idaho Women’s Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary and their continuing services at UI with the Moscow community during the 40th Anniversary Gala Friday.
The Women’s Center, founded in 1972, began as a volunteer-run organization that sought gender equity, said Heather Shea Gasser, Women’s Center director. Since its conception, the center’s mission is to foster gender equality through educational and supportive programs.
“We provide a safe, comfortable space for everyone to explore, discuss and learn
about gender issues,” Gasser said. “We do promote gender equity, but we focus on equity as a whole — for everyone.”
Kay Keskinen, a retired university employee, said the Women’s Center has made a marked difference since its creation four decades ago.
“My 40 years of using the center’s services have transformed my life. I am so grateful that the center was there for me,” Keskinen said.
In the early 1970s, the university conducted a study on women’s high attrition rates, led by former UI president Ernest W. Hartung. Based on their findings, the university entered into the Conciliation Agreement of 1974, which established permanency of the Women’s Center, salaried positions and funding comparable to similar on-campus services.
“It’s interesting how the Conciliation Agreement has shaped the University of Idaho’s direction toward gender equity and provided a lot of security for the Women’s Center,” Gasser said. “Women’s centers all over the country are closing their doors.”
Gasser said this event is an important part of the center’s fundraising campaign. All proceeds from the gala go to the programs and services of the Women’s Center, which is trying to expand to a more centralized location.
“Finding a new location for the Women’s Center is paramount,” Gasser said. “Relocation could mean expansion and reconnection to other diversity centers on campus.”
Tickets for the gala are $40 for general admission and $20 for students, and can be purchased by cash or check through the Women’s Center, or online through the UI Marketplace. Several UI departments have also donated student tickets, and students interested in attending or volunteering to set up are encouraged to contact the Women’s Center.
The gala is at 7 p.m. at the 1912 Center and will be attended by past Women’s Center directors and staff members, as well as Conciliation Agreement signers.
The gala will host live music including local musicians Jon Anderson, Rand Walker, Nate Spain, Donna Holmes Parks and Terri Grzebielski. Mikey’s Gyros will provide gourmet hors d’oeuvres, and Camas Prairie Winery will serve micro-brewed beers, commemorative wine and a selection of naturally flavored sparkling sodas.
The gala will also have a live and silent auction and a raffle. Raffle items include covers of first two years of Ms. Magazine, signed by Gloria Steinem, the magazine’s founder. Ms. Magazine is also celebrating its 40th anniversary. A signed poster of Olympian and UI alum Kristin Armstrong will also be auctioned.
Gasser said she expects about 150 in attendance at the intimate venue, but the more the merrier.
“It’ll be a party. We want it to be a celebration,” Gasser said.
The 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration is part of this year’s Women’s History Brown Bag Series. The series will continue with “The Indigenous Women’s Movement” Nov. 27, which will bring in guest speaker Stephanie Waterman and will explore feminism in indigenous cultures.
Courtney Miller can be reached at [email protected]