Women who have devoted their lives and energy to the mission of the U.S. Peace Corps are part of a panel discussion at Sonoma State University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9 in Salazar 1061.
In many countries, women suffer a lower quality of life than their fellow countrymen. Peace Corps panelists will discuss how they are working to change these conditions as well as address issues of gender both in the Corps and in the countries they visit.
Guest speakers include Anne Robinson, an English teacher who has been working with the Peace Corps since 1965. She has volunteered in such diverse locales as Thailand, Palau, China, and Nepal. Seeing herself as an instrument of positive change, Robinson will speak about how she is ready to travel and volunteer again.
Mathews Tisatayane, a Malawi Host Country National, will discuss how the influence of the female Peace Corps volunteers have helped Malawi men empower the women of their own country.
Other speakers include Sarah Wiens and Colin Lober, English teachers who volunteered in Kyrgyzstan from 2002 to 2004. They will discuss their experiences in Kyrgyzstan as well as what it is like to live as a couple while serving in the Peace Corps.
The program is offered In conjunction with Sonoma State University's celebration of Women's History Month, The SSU Women's Resource Center, the United States Peace Corps and JUMP are sponsors of this event. Admission is free. For more information, contact Jeff Woods, JUMP Program Coordinator, (707) 664-4277.
