[Important Information for Employees] Message from President Enyedi on International Women's Day

[Office of the President]

Today is International Women's Day (IWD).

Celebrated annually on March 8, this day is an opportunity to recognize the
significant social, economic, cultural, and political impacts women have on
our world. It is also a day to raise awareness of the ongoing gender bias
that continues to compromise the rights and freedoms of all who identify as
female.

Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias impedes our efforts toward true and
lasting equity. The United Nations reports that, while women make up nearly
half (49.5%) of the global population, more than two-thirds of the world’s
796 million people who struggle with illiteracy also identify as women, 60%
of chronically hungry people identify as women, and around 130 million who
identify as girls are out of school worldwide.

While awareness is a necessary first step, it is never enough. It is up to
all of us to take collective and conscious action against gender
discriminationin in all its forms. And as an institution of higher
education, it is our responsibility to create an equitable, inclusive world
that leaves no population underserved or minoritized.

This year's International Women's Day theme is #breakthebias. Women across
the world are being asked to strike the IWD 2022 pose
<https://www.internationalwomensday.com/2022Theme>and share the picture on
social media to encourage support for gender equity.

Here on campus, our Gender and Women's Studies
<https://www.plattsburgh.edu/academics/schools/arts-sciences/gws/index.html>
department
is an essential resource for information, equity and advocacy. *They will
host a forum today, March 8, from 12:30 pm  – 1:45 pm in the ACC Alumni
Conference Room.* Please see the attached poster for more details, and
please plan to attend if you are able.

We are also fortunate to have several strong student groups
<https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/get-involved/clubs-organizations/index.html>
that continue
to create spaces for discussion and learning about these critical
issues.The Women in Leadership club, which raises awareness around social
injustices and empowerment of marginalized groups in the professional
setting, recently hosted an event called "Breaking the Glass Ceiling." And
Fuerza: The Black and Latinx Student Union, which strives to unify all
African American and Latin American cultures under one network recently
hosted a "Let's Talk: Empowering Women" panel for all on campus. We must
continue to support these essential efforts and the students and
faculty/staff advisors who devote so much of their time to coordinating
these important events.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge, and personally thank, the past, present and
future generations of all on our campus who identify as women. We are a
stronger, more successful SUNY Plattsburgh because of the leadership,
achievements and lived experiences of our female faculty, staff and
students, I express my gratitude to each of you for your many contributions.

Feminist Gloria Steinham once said: "The story of women’s struggle for
equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization, but to
the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."  And that is
the work that we must all do here together.

SIncerely,
Alexander Enyedi
President
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