Office for Women's Affairs celebrates anniversary with creative works contest

The Office for Women’s Affairs will celebrate its 40th anniversary by sponsoring a creative works contest that allows students and staff to submit work exemplifying a chosen theme.

“Over the years, women and their allies have used writing and creative arts as a way of drawing attention to their successes and challenges,” OWA Dean Yvette Alex-Assensoh said.

This year’s theme, reflecting a collaboration with the National Women’s History Project, will be “Women’s Education, Women’s Empowerment.” Alex-Assensoh said she hopes participants will grasp the link between the two: She sees one part of the theme propelling the other.

“Education has been crucial in helping society to understand the need for equity in terms of gender, as well as the way in which gender equity enhances everyone’s success,” Alex-Assensoh said. “Toward this end, education and access to it are crucial for providing women with the tools that they need to succeed even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.”

Submissions for the creative works contest are due by 5 p.m. March 23 and can take a variety of formats. Essay, video, sculpture, computer art, photography and cloth are just a few of the acceptable categories. Stricter guidelines and rules for submission can be found at indiana.edu/~owa.

First- and second-place winners in each assigned category will receive a cash prize, in addition to having their name displayed on a public plaque.

Last year’s winners included an immigrant who wrote about the role of women in his life. Alex-Assensoh said she expects a similarly-diverse group of entries for this year’s competition.

— Jackie Veling