The second Ventura County Womens Forum focusing on Educational Justice: Gender Equity and Social Change will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo.

The forum is a collaborative effort of the Ventura County Commission for Women and organizations concerned about the welfare of women in Ventura County including AAUW, Business and Professional Women of Conejo Valley, CAUSE, CAWA-WIN, California Lutheran Universitys Center for Equality & Justice, CSUCI, Concerned Black Women of Conejo Valley, Moorpark College, National Womens Political Caucus, Promotoras y Promotores Foundation, The Links, Inc., Reproductive Rights Network of Ventura County, SmartGirl.org, Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, and Ventura County Speaker Series.

The daylong event will include an address by keynote speaker Anna DiStefano, Provost at Fielding Graduate University. There will be workshops led by educational leaders from throughout Ventura County on topics ranging from Empowering Underrepresented Women and Girls to Gender, Educational Policy, and Reform to Sex Education.

The organizers will also recognize four women as pioneers in education: Ella Flagg Young, Mary McLeod Bethune, Miriam I. Cruz, and Sucheng Chan.

The forum was inspired by the Beijing International Womens Conference of 1995 and the 12 critical issues identified at the conference: Poverty, Education, Health, Violence, Economic Justice, Power Sharing, Institutional Mechanisms, Human Rights, Media, Peace, Environment, The Girl-Child. The first forum in 2006 addressed Economic Justice.

The goal of the forum is to strengthen and inspire local women leaders. The attendees will discuss issues of gender equity and social change in education to develop coordinated action plans for improving womens educational opportunities in Ventura County.

The event is hosted by CSUCIs Center for Multicultural Engagement. Other sponsors include California Lutheran University and the Center for Equality & Justice, the McCune Foundation, SAGE, the Ventura County Community Foundation, the Ventura County Star, the Ventura-Oxnard Chapter of the National Organization for Women, AARP, and NWPC.

Registration is $60 and $20 for students (identification required) and includes lunch and refreshments. 

For more information about the forum, including its sponsors and vendors, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.vcwf.org or call 805-658-4193.

For media inquiries about the event contact Shanté Morgan Durisseau, Morgan Communications, 310-594-9890.

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CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.