The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program kicked off Women’s History and Awareness Month Wednesday night with a keynote presentation from Lynne Curry, a retired Eastern history professor.

Curry spoke about the 19th Amendment, ratified 100 years ago.

Curry discussed women’s rights before the 14th Amendment to present day and touched on the fact that it took a long time for women to get the right to vote in 1920, but women still do not have equal rights.

She acknowledged that many women are doing things like serving in the military and are in politics today. Women are in these professions more now than they ever have been before.

Curry also talked about the many accomplishments of women throughout history.

At the end of her presentation she was asked if there was anything else she wanted the audience to know and Curry encouraged the audience to read and learn about various topics related to women.

Marjorie Worthington, an English professor in charge of creating the event, said Curry was chosen for the keynote because “the committee was trying to figure out who to have speak this year and decided on Dr. Curry because she just retired, and it made perfect sense to have her come back and honor her. She also knows this stuff so well and can speak so compellingly about it.”

Worthington said she was pleased with the presentation and felt like Curry was able to span a wide variety of topics in the time she spoke.

“It spanned so many decades and started with the beginning of the suffrage movement,” Worthington said.

The theme for this Women’s History and Awareness Month at Eastern is the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.

Other events coming this month include a Fireside Chat about women’s suffrage, the MeToo Movement and the importance on electing women for office on March 10, a film festival March 25, the Womxn Up Conference on Leadership March 28, a concert of women composers on March 29, a faculty panel March 31 and the finale for the month will be the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Awards Ceremony in April.

Haylee Brickey can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].