Gender gap. Sexual abuse. Inadequate leave. Lack of education.

What do all of these have in common? They’re issues that the women’s movement is trying to change.

“Women continue to struggle against discrimination whether it is a barrier to education, a pay gap at work, higher premiums for health insurance, inadequate options for family leave, or physical or sexual abuse or violence,” Marcia Rozell, president of the USD 383 Board of Education, said in a proclamation at the Board of Education meeting on March 1.

The Manhattan-Ogden Unified School District hopes to bring awareness of these issues by recognizing International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017.

“International Women’s Day is a day to uphold women’s achievements, recognize challenges, focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality, encourage and mobilize all people to do their part to bring about positive change,” Rozell said in the proclamation.

The day’s activities are lead by the local chapter of the American Association of University Women through Kansas State University. The AAUW hopes to bring awareness to issues that women face every day by partnering with International Women’s Day and Kansas State University to create a public forum where community members can go and hear about the struggles that women face in other countries.

“Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 wishes to take this opportunity to celebrate the diversity of people in our District and to learn from the women of our community about their experiences and aspirations and to use this day to commit ourselves to respect the rights of women to lead secure, creative, healthy, and free lives,” Rozell said.

The public forum is being held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn off of Anderson Avenue. The panel will include local women who are from Iraq, India, Costa Rica and Bolivia.

International Women’s Day Website:

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

AAUW Website:

http://www.aauw.org/