Virginia Tech students, public invited to Swiss Embassy program for female leaders

Kelsey Bartlett

11 Mar 2024

A red and yellow illustration of a woman standing in front of a podium and addressing a crowd. — Virginia Tech in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy will host Empowering Voices, an event in honor of Women's History Month, on March 16. Illustration courtesy of Adobe Stock.

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate the contributions of women in society and an opportunity to shine a light on gender in leadership.

Virginia Tech will do just that on March 16 through a collaborative program with the Embassy of Switzerland called Empowering Voices.

The series of programs for both students and the public is intended to create a platform for gender dialogue and to encourage aspiring women leaders.

“We know that women are still underrepresented in politics,” said Farida Jalalzai, associate dean for global initiatives and engagement in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. “This is one way to try to highlight the gap but also provide a pathway to participation.”

The first portion of the event is open to the public and will feature a breakfast seminar discussion of Swiss and U.S. political landscapes and the challenges of addressing gender in political representation. Jalalzai will offer her perspectives on the topic, as will Embassy of Switzerland representatives and local women in politics. A question and answer segment will follow.

The event will also feature a lunchtime skills-building workshop for Virginia Tech students who want to improve their leadership and communication skills. The workshop will be led by Running Start, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to women’s empowerment.

Participating students will have the opportunity to attend a speed networking session with women in local politics as well as those in administrative leadership roles and Virginia Tech professors.

Jalalzai said she hopes participants leave the experience with an increased awareness of the “importance of having women in positions of power but also tangible skills to promote growth and to build up social and career networks.”

She said the workshop is also an opportunity for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences to create partnerships with the Embassy of Switzerland and to strengthen ties with female leaders in local and broader contexts.

“I am excited about the different types of people participating and think we have a lot to learn from one another,” she said.

The program is sponsored by Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, the Department of Political Science, the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies, and the Women’s Center.