International Women’s Day is being celebrated this week at WSU, with a variety of events to bring together the diverse community of women and their triumphs as individuals.

This day was made to praise the progress that all women have made throughout history and will continue to make in the future.

There was a carnation giveaway on campus for two hours on Tuesday starting at 11 a.m. with inspirational notes attached to start the day. Following the giveaway, the center for civic engagement put on a public square discussion called the Fight for Equality: Trans Rights in America.

On Tuesday evening, a presentation and dance was held in Butch’s Den at the CUB. Students, men and women were brought together from the audience by a few students from the student recreation center who lead a high energy dance as a final part of this event.

This event was coordinated by Pamela Duran, associate director of the International Center. Duran said this day was created in the early 1900s, because many women all over the world have been treated with prejudice that continues today.

“This event is to showcase the women who have made great achievements and to talk about things that women have overcome in their lives and to inspire women to be powerful,” she said.

Duran said she is passionate and personally moved by this day.

Violence Prevention and Green Dot Coordinator Nikki Finnestead spoke about how students play an important role in violence prevention.

“We have to acknowledge the reality that we have students on this campus that are being hurt by violence every day, these rates of violence that are happening on a global scale, we don’t have to look very far,” Finnestead said.

Janille Lowe, fourth year student and presenter at this event spoke on the importance of women coming together.

“To me, this day is about unifying a community of women that have been groomed to ostracize and criticize one another when we’re all subjected to this standard of beauty and to the same body images,” Lowe said.

This presentation was based on the One Billion Rising international initiative to end violence against women, according to WSU News.

As a final commencement of this week, there will be a professional sharing night, where international women faculty will speak about their professional journeys Thursday from 6 – 8 p.m.