DANBURY, CONN. — The Western Connecticut State University Department of History will host a panel discussion, “Women Make Change: Politics Past, Present and Future,” at noon on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, in the Warner Hall Lyceum on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. This event is free and open to the public.

This event, held in celebration of Women’s History Month, will examine women’s changing political roles in the U.S. and internationally. It will explore the past achievements of American women and consider the challenges women face today. The panel will feature Assistant Professor of Political Science Howell Williams, Assistant Professor of Anthropology Christina Hegel-Cantarella and Quinnipiac University Assistant Professor of Legal Studies Dr. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox. WCSU Provost Dr. Missy Alexander will introduce the panelists.

Williams researches the impact of social policy on political discourse in the contemporary Democratic Party and teaches courses in American politics, gender and research methodologies. His doctoral dissertation analyzes “family values” rhetoric in the post-Reagan era.

Hegel-Cantarella has conducted ethnographic research in Port Said, Egypt, examining how law becomes a resource for reconfiguring power relations by tracing debt and credit networks through the local business community, the Egyptian civil courts and extended families. Through her research, she has become more aware of the ways Egyptian activists and rights organizations have sought to improve access to justice for women on issues of family law.

Gadkar-Wilcox is the founder and director of the Global Engagement Fellows program and teaches about comparative constitutional law and human rights law at Quinnipiac. As a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar, she is researching the process of constitutional formation in drafting the Indian Constitution as well as the reception and understanding of the constitutional rights framework in India. She has presented papers and published articles on comparative constitutional law, domestic violence law in India, critical race theory and First Amendment jurisprudence in the United States.

Professor of History Dr. Marcy May, who organized the event, said, “The movement to celebrate women’s historical achievements began in the 1970s, as scholars increased their investigations of women’s changing roles. Many women noted that our educational programs barely reflected women’s achievements and accomplishments, and frequently overlooked the importance of women such as Jane Addams, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony and so many others in American history.”

For more information, contact the Department of History at (203) 837-8484.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.