Celebrating women

Windward Community College presents a series of free lectures and activities in celebration of Women's History Month this month. This year's theme, "Women Change America," honors and recognizes the role of women in transforming culture, history and politics.

Activities at the school include a presentation by former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who will talk about her life's experience.

A "Poetry, Music and Talent Hour" is open to all to enjoy from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. March 16 in the student lounge, with female students, faculty and staff sharing their talent.

In addition, every Wednesday in March at 1:30 p.m., WCC will show a film that features women who played pivotal roles in history.

For more information, call Kathleen French at 236-9211 or e-mail kfrench@hawaii.edu.

Calendar of talks

From 12:30 to 1:20 p.m.:

Thursday: Gary Francell, Ph.D. in psychology, will discuss interpersonal relationships between men and women, with the ideas based on John Gray's book "Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus," in Akoakoa Room 105.
March 17: Mazie Hirono will speak about growing up in Japan, moving to Hawaii, attending law school and becoming Hawaii's lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002, in Paliku Theatre.
March 31: Gloria Moore will talk about health issues related to women through their life stages, in Akoakoa Room 105.

Film schedule

Screening at 1:30 p.m. in the student lounge:
Tomorrow: "Frida," starring Salma Hayek
March 16: "The Hours," starring Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore
March 30: "Heart of the Sea," about Rell Sunn, who paved the way for women's professional surfing in Hawaii during the 1970s as a pioneer and activist

SENORITA EXTRAVIADA

Documentary screens

The documentary, "Señorita Extraviada: Missing Young Women," will be screened free at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at Crawford Hall, Room 105, on the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus.

Lourdes Portillo's film tells the story of the hundreds of women who have been kidnapped, raped and murdered in the city of Juárez, Mexico.

In the past 10 years, approximately 370 bodies have been found, dumped in abandoned lots.

Portillo investigates the circumstances of the murders and the horror, fear and courage of the families whose children have been taken. This is also the story of the underbelly of the global economy, where the women are drawn to the large Mexican city for export-processing factory jobs yet face danger and sexual harassment in the slums where most of them live.

A panel discussion will follow the screening.