In celebration of International Women’s Day, Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey, Professor Emerita San Francisco State University, will be speaking at a special event from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, via Zoom. Okazawa-Rey is an activist and educator working on issues of militarism, armed conflict, and violence against women examined intersectionally.
The event is the first in a University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu series of guest speakers related to African American history. The series is organized by Dr. Kim Compoc, assistant professor of History at UH West O‘ahu, and is sponsored in part by the Office of Student Equity, Excellence, and Diversity (SEED).
“We are so delighted to be in conversation with Dr. Okazawa-Rey on International Women’s Day,” Compoc said. “Her scholarship and activism exemplify the long-term commitment to genuine security and international organizing that is so needed in the world today.”
Compoc continued, “Also, given the way that African American history is being censored in the U.S., especially Black feminist history, her visit couldn’t come at a better time. Everyone is welcome to attend.”
Okazawa-Rey has long-standing activist commitments in South Korea and Palestine, working closely with Du Re Bang/My Sisters Place and Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, respectively. She also is a founding member of the International Women’s Network against Militarism and Women for Genuine Security, serves on the International Board of PeaceWomen Across the Globe in Bern, Switzerland, and is President of the Board of Directors of Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). Additionally, she is a founding member of the Combahee River Collective, who wrote a widely circulated statement on Black feminism in 1977.
Some of Okazawa-Rey’s most recent publications include “ ‘Nation-izing’ Coalition and Solidarity Politics for US Anti-militarist Feminists,” Social Justice (2020); “Gendered Lives: Intersectional Perspectives,” Oxford University Press (2020); “No Freedom without Connections: Envisioning Sustainable Feminist Solidarities” (2018) in “Feminist Freedom Warriors: Genealogies, Justice, Politics, and Hope,” edited by Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Linda Carty.
According to a press release, International Women’s Day (IWD) was first celebrated in 1911 after an International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the year prior. Delegates from 17 countries met to demand and agitate for economic and voting rights for women. Clare Zetkin was the first to propose the idea of IWD; the following year over a million women marched in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. In 1975, the United Nations began recognizing IWD.
Those interested in attending the event featuring Okazawa-Rey must pre-register. ASL interpretation will be provided for deaf and hard of hearing participants. The event is co-sponsored by the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu Humanities Division; Women’s Voices, Women Speak; Students & Faculty for Justice in Palestine at the University of Hawai‘i; Students Protesting Against Militarism (SPAM), and Hawai‘i Peace & Justice.
The next speaker in the series will be Dr. Charles Lawrence, Emeritus Professor of Law at UH Mānoa, on April 12. For updates on the speaker series, email compoc@hawaii.edu or follow @UHWOhistory on Instagram.