Lane College host inaugural Women’s Empowerment Workshop

Lane College host inaugural Women’s Empowerment Workshop

The Lane College Office of Academic Affairs hosted around 50 women during the inaugural Women’s Empowerment Workshop in the Chambers McClure Academic Center on Lane’s Campus Saturday morning.

The workshop included two sessions, with the first focusing on the theme of the event, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.”

The first session comprised of a panel discussion from a variety of professional and organizational leaders as well as a diverse group of race, religion and nationalities.

Ms. Darlette Samuels, chief of staff for Lane College, was one of the women on the panel. She said she was pleased with the turnout for the inaugural event and felt the women in attendance left CMAC Saturday inspired.

“Society has made massive changes as it relates to women advancing in the workforce and I pray that the women in the audience left here inspired,” Stewart said. “I did.”

In honor of women’s history month, the workshop opened with some of the Lane College students reading a poem about women’s history and empowerment. The second half of the workshop was comprised of multiple break-out sessions.

The sessions focused on topics such as “Women’s Careers: How to balance work and life,” “The development of self-esteem” as well as financial management and relationship workshops.

Dr. Michelle Stewart, vice president for Academic Affairs, organized the event. She said it is important for Lane College to be involved with women in the community.

“The main goal was to encourage women and to empower them also with resources,” Stewart said. “I think the most pressing issue facing women is really to help them to become aware of the needs to speak on behalf of themselves to push for economic development for women and that means equity in pay, higher minimum wage and services that support women because we know that most women are leading households.”