Dia de la Mujer 2009

“La Mujer Maravilla” Our Everyday Superheroes!

The 16th Annual Día de la Mujer (DDLM) Conference, celebrating the lives of Latina women, is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2009. The one-day conference hosts workshops for over 300 Latina women from all over the state.  DDLM will be held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, on the campus of Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

The title of the 2009 conference is “La Mujer Maravilla”.  The phrase reflects the multi-faceted lives and accomplishments of Latina women. They are women who work to balance their roles as professionals, educators, artists, students, athletes, and others with their familial roles as sisters, daughters, mothers, care-givers, and life partners. The Conference honors these  “wonder women”.

This annual conference has provided a much needed space for Latinas in Michigan to affect social change and to highlight their accomplishments. Keynote presenters, forums and workshops facilitated by Latina women will provide conference participants with networking opportunities for employment, education and sharing life experiences. Topics to be addressed include education, health, politics, community, family, history, culture, career and personal development. Over two-dozen workshops will be offered for participants of all ages and life phases, including adults, college students, and K-12 students.

My first experience at Día de la Mujer was stunning.  I marveled at the sight of generations of women, bisabuelas, abuelas, mamás, hijas y nietas, striding through Kellogg Center, taking ownership of it, even if just for a day.  As a recently-arrived Tejana longing for home, I was comforted by the presence of so many Chicanas and Latinas.   Now, almost ten years later, the model of Día de La Mujer, a community-based and woman-centered conference held at a university campus, continues to remind me of the relevance and the potential of Chicana/Latina Studies.

Dr.  Sheila Contreras
Director, Chicano/Latino Studies, MSU