There's a new powerhouse Student Government organization on campus, and it's not Student Union Board or Kennedy Political Union. Women's Initiative, an organization designed to provide an empowering campus environment for women, has had its presence on campus boosted.
"The goal of Women's Initiative is to provide for students at American University safety oversight with Public Safety, health oversight with the Health Center and to create programming that is empowering to women and provides for a multi-faceted array of women's concerns," Executive Director Jen Smyers said. "We do provide for all students, not just women."
Women's Initiative has been a SG presence for the last four years, but it has always been a struggling organization. Until this year, a singular director ran it with little involvement from volunteers or the SG. When 2005-2006 Student Government President Kyle Taylor was elected, he appointed Smyers to the position of Executive Director.
"I picked Jen because she is the most qualified for the position," Taylor said. "She is passionate about women's issues on campus."
With Smyers, a new era of Women's Initiative was born. Smyers created a system of hierarchy within the WI by establishing 15 branches of policy and programming, each with its own director. According to Director of Domestic Abuse Lauren House, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, Smyers handpicked each director for their passion for women's issues.
"Jen showed each of the directors the inner workings of Student Government," House said. House then said Smyers sent each woman on her way and told her to plan a lot of events and be creative.
The 15 branches of the Women's Initiative range from Female Empowerment to HIV/AIDS to Women and Athletics. With Smyers' idea came a whole new energy within Women's Initiative.
"It really skyrocketed in such a short period of time," said Director of Women and Athletics Christina Cote, a freshman in the School of Communication. "Everything was just so professional and well-run."
Operating on just over a $5,000 budget from Student Government and raising nearly $18,000 in the last year, Women's Initiative has put on no fewer than 43 events this school year. Events have included the Breastival in October, a breast cancer awareness festival and Take Back the Night, a Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness night of inspiration.
"With the help of Women's Initiative, we were able to make Take Back the Night a huge success. There were no less than 450 people marching, and men even spoke at the event," House said.
House also mentioned the amount of work that goes into each of the WI events.
"For me, when you are doing Women's Initiative programming, it comes down to going to classes or pulling off a successful event," House said.
Women's Initiative has sponsored many other events this year, including "The Vagina Monologues," which, according to House, sold out all three nights. Women's Her-story Month and the Women Friendly Fashion Show all made a great impact on the AU community.
"There's a buzz about our work," House said. "The inherent good nature of what we are doing has attracted people."
The programming has empowered women all over campus, encouraging women to take notice of their bodies and understand the politics that are attached to women's issues.
"I really do think that Jen has done an incredible job and has done a really good job planning events that people like," said Emily Noll, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and Gender Studies minor. "I definitely noticed [Women's Initiative] this year."
The women on the board of directors praised Smyers, and said they feel proud of their work. "My whole view of this campus has changed because [since] the minute I was given this position ... I have been approached with enthusiasm about all of our events," House said. "I've started to see the students of this campus as the adults they will be. This has helped to cement my professional ethics and conduct."
The women are excited for next year as well. Smyers is leaving, but her replacement, JoAnna Smith, the current Director of Sex Education, has been received with warmth among her WI peers.
According to House, Smith is working with the Women and Politics Institute to sponsor a workshop for women to get involved in Student Government.
In addition to an expanded Breastival, Take Back the Night and "Vagina Monologues," House said she is working on a legal aide program that allows pre-law students to have the chance to intern with D.C. attorneys that do pro-bono work for abused women.
"What we do is a really rewarding job," House said. "I know I can change maybe 20 people's lives at an event, and that in turn has changed my life."
For next year, the budget has been increased to $15,000. "We're going to spend our money wisely next year on programs that will benefit the entire campus, not just women," said Smith.
Sunday, at the Transition Brunch for outgoing and incoming SG representatives, Jen Smyers was the first recipient of the Jen Smyers Woman of the Year Award. Smyers said it has been difficult to say goodbye to the Executive Director position. "It's going to be difficult thinking of myself not doing Women's Initiative," she said. "It becomes your identity"
