Today marks the beginning of Women’s History Month and NIU is doing its part to recognize the achievements and strides women have made.

The celebration of women’s history originally began as a week-long celebration, and congress would eventually deem it Women’s History Month, according to the National Women’s History Project Web site.

The theme for this month is “Re-Defining Motherhood,” and many events will revolve around how the institution of motherhood and its relevance to women’s lives are changing, said Rebekah Kohli, programming director for the women’s studies program.

“Everyone knows their mother is important,” said Betty Baugh, administrative secretary for the Women’s Resource Center. “I’m hoping people will put that in perspective and some of the programming being done will help people to recognize the importance of women since there are many different ways to be a mother.”

“The celebration will kick off with ‘This Is What a Feminist Looks Like’ Sticker Day, which is an event that will show the campus the many faces of feminism,” Kohli said. “Stickers are available in Reavis 103.”

For its first public viewing, the Barbara Cole Peters’ Women’s History Month dress exhibit will be displayed today. The “Little Black Dress” show begins at 5 p.m. in the Nehring Center Gallery, Kohli said.

Lise Schlosser, a women’s studies program secretary and graduate student, said the events being held this month will allow students to gain a better understanding of women at NIU, as well as around the world.

“These events are a chance for students to learn something completely different or to explore a topic that already interests them in greater depth,” Schlosser said. “It’s a chance for students to learn about women’s experiences and contributions and broaden their understanding of the world.”

The continued recognition of Women’s History Month remains necessary for NIU students and for the rest of the nation, Schlosser said.

“The argument hardly needs to be made anymore that women’s experiences have been, in general, left out of traditional re-tellings of history, and that women still struggle to be seen and heard in today’s world,” Schlosser said. “While women have made great strides; there is still a long way to go.”

A complete list of all the events being held throughout the month can be found on the women’s studies program Web site at http://www.clas.niu.edu/wstudies/whm2007.htm.