On Wednesday, March 27, the Multicultural Lounge in the John Lewis Student Center bustled with excitement and competition as Support Health and Education for Women (S.H.E) for Women, hosted an intense trivia night. Michelle Seeler, fourth-year BIOL major and president of S.H.E for Women, described the background and purpose of the event.
“S.H.E for Women is a women’s health organization in which we want to educate the public on different things and issues within women’s health. Because March is Women’s History Month, we want to have an event where we can learn about all the different successful women in our world. This trivia night is a way for us to educate students about successful women and inspire them,” Seeler said on the event’s role.
An excited and packed crowd filled the room with good energy and delicious food, eventually seating themselves at the tables throughout the room after mingling with others. The five tables counted as separate groups and announced themselves to one another with creative names.
The executive board began with a short introduction about the organization. They elaborated on how they had done work involving marginalized women and women’s health issues, and also raising awareness about women experiencing homelessness and poverty, especially within Atlanta and the surrounding areas.
The first team to raise their hands was able to answer the question. If they were incorrect, the chance would go to the next team until one was able to get it correct. If no team was able to answer, the question would be skipped.
For each question answered accurately, teams received a point that was tallied towards the prize of three $10 Chick-fil-A gift cards. Questions spanned a wide range of subjects, covering topics like polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, abortion and even taxes on menstruation products.
S.H.E for Women does not only appeal to women across campus. The organization’s event attracted different students from unique backgrounds and identities that transcended gender.
Focused on winning first place, each participant worked within the constraints as they tried their hardest to answer the questions accurately and as quickly as they could. According to Seeler, S.H.E for Women has been strongly involved in advocacy for women’s health. They have worked to receive signatures from students for different state policies that they felt needed change.
For instance, an issue that is very important to the organization is ending the period tax.
Currently, in Georgia, there are taxes on popular menstruation products like pads and tampons. However, other items that the Georgia government deemed essential, such as Viagra, a drug that helps with maintaining erections, do not have a tax.
Members of the club have worked consistently to push lawmakers to abolish the tax on period products. The organization has done so by garnering attention through advocacy events, sending emails to lawmakers and attending speaker events. They even collaborate with other organizations with similar goals, like Georgia Stop Tax on Menstrual Products (Georgia STOMP).
S.H.E for Women also hosts many advocacy events, like period product drives. Recently, they were able to donate about 4,000 period products for women experiencing homelessness, Seeler explained. She also explained that the organization also goes to domestic violence shelters and does meditations with survivors.
Seeler elaborated on her history with the organization. Relatively new, S.H.E for Women began in 2021 at Tech. Seeler began on the outreach committee and eventually became promoted to outreach chair. She even started “Love Your Body Week,” an event hosted every fall focusing on women’s health through informative events. Sessions for every aspect of women’s health, like physical, spiritual, stress-related and mental health-related, are
covered during the week.
As president, Seeler has seen the organization transform and become more successful each year. In her final semester at Tech, she is excited to see the future of the organization. These new changes to the club include the introduction of the general body as an official part of the organization.
Continuing to speak on her vision for the organization’s next steps, Seeler explained hopes to see a strong connection develop between the general body and executive board, and more volunteering and bonding events, similar to the trivia night event.
Those who are interested in joining S.H.E for Women or learning more about future events to attend on campus can visit their Instagram @gtsheforwomen.