Bentonville Rotary holds Womens Day celebration

BENTONVILLE -- The Rotary Club of Bentonville will celebrate and discuss gender diversity and women's empowerment at its first International Women's Day Celebration on March 10.

The event, tag lined "Equality for Women is Progress for All," will begin with registration and a networking breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m. at Old High Middle School. The program will run 8:30 to 10 a.m. and include five speakers. Tickets are $10.

Women’s Day Celebration

The Rotary Club of Bentonville will host the International Women’s Day Celebration “Equality for Women is Progress for All” from 8 to 10 a.m. March 10 at the Old High Middle School Auditorium at 406 N.W. 2nd St.

Tickets are $10 and can be bought online at www.nwawomensday.com.

Source: Staff report

The first National Women's Day took place in New York on Feb. 28, 1909, according to the United Nation's website. Other countries added similar observances in the following years, and the United Nations began to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 1975.

It is now celebrated in many counties to recognize women for their accomplishments and to look ahead to the opportunities for women in the future, the website states.

There aren't many International Women's Day events in Northwest Arkansas, so this was an opportunity for Rotary to provide one for the community, said Beth Keck, event organizer.

"We hope that those who come to this International Women's Day event walk away inspired, and not only inspired about what you can do in your work life but also in your personal life," she said.

The five speakers are Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, EVP treasurer at Wal-Mart; Judy R. McReynolds, president and CEO at ArcBest Corp.; Mary Beth Growney Selene, Rotary International board of directors; Jennifer Jones, Rotary International board of director-elect; Tracy Godfrey, president at Mercy Clinic in Joplin, Mo.

They are accomplished in their work and personal lives and will talk about their journeys, challenges and how they've persevered and been successful, Keck said.

The event is for both men and women, she added. One topic the speakers will address will be how organizations can be inclusive -- as women are often underrepresented in major organizations today.

Last year was the 25th anniversary of women in Rotary. It took an 11-year battle in the California courts system and ultimately a Supreme Court ruling for women to be permitted to join, said Jones, Rotary International board of directors-elect.

"I have many male colleagues that tell me that they think we're thriving and surviving because of the fact that we've been able to bring women into the organization," she said.

There were more than 20,000 women who joined Rotary since it began to accept women in 1989, according to Rotary.org. There were nearly 200,000 women in the organization by 2010.

Having diverse membership allows for diverse perspectives, which strengthens how the organization serves its community, Jones said.

Rotary has about a 19 percent women membership globally, Jones said. The Bentonville club has about 30 percent women, and the district that the Bentonville club is in has about a 25 percent women, according to Keck.

Jones said she hopes the event educates people about "incredible" things women are doing.

"It needs to be celebrated," she said. "When we shine a light on that, it really sends a message, especially to young women, that they can achieve anything they want to."

NW News on 03/03/2015

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