KXCI Celebrates International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8th, from 5 am to 10 pm, join KXCI DJs Michelle, Bridgitte Thum, Amy Frost, Wesley Rae, Hannah Levin, Danae, and Nenny G. Our DJs will take you on a journey exploring and celebrating the strength, struggles, and empowering solidarity of women, non-binary persons, and femme-identifying people. Throughout the day, they’ll weave in brief interviews with community voices. The segments will focus on Gender Equity, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. Community leaders will discuss women’s empowerment moments that have inspired them, pay equity, and the progress they’ve seen for women, peace, and security. Join us for a full day of diverse programming designed to inspire and share your perspectives on social media with the hashtags #IWD2023 and #embraceequity.
Once again KXCI is pleased to welcome messages from inspiring people in our community. We will hear from:
Nazafarin Lotfi, Artist, Educator, Activist Organizer
& Farsan Kareyn, Law Graduate, Human Activist
Transcription: My name is Nazafarin Lotfi. I’m an artist and educator and arts organizer and one of the organizers of today’s rally stand with women of Afghanistan and Iran, which will happen at 5:30 to 7:30 in downtown Tucson at 401 West Congress Street. My International Women’s Day message is that I ask people to understand the current movement in Iran, which was sparked by the death of a young Kurdish woman back in September at the hands of the morality police as a message from the future. Please move on from this idea that what is happening in Iran or anywhere outside of the U S is a cultural issue of a backward place that has nothing to do with you. No, we are already experiencing attacks on women’s bodies and choices in the U S. This is already happening here and is slowly growing Woman, Life, Freedom is a message from the future that is inviting all of us to liberate ourselves and come together to fight for the most vulnerable, to fight for the marginalized and to fight for our environment. We welcome everyone who cares about human rights justice, the right to education, and bodily autonomy to attend the rally today at 5:30 to 7:30 at 401 West Congress Street. For more information about the rally, you can visit Tucson African Community Facebook page. If you find the flyer, there is a Q R code, it will direct you to ua.icat on Instagram, which is Iranian Students Cultural Association in Tucson. We hope that this rally is the beginning for more intersectional feminist conversations in Tucson. For next year, we can plan a bigger rally with more communities involved working towards creating a more inclusive world that eliminates gender-based discrimination. Thank you so much for tuning in at KXCI today.
Transcription: My name is Nazafarin Lotfi. I’m an artist and educator and arts organizer and one of the organizers of today’s rally Stand with Women of Afghanistan and Iran, which will happen at 5:30 to 7:30 in downtown Tucson at 401 West Congress Street.
My name is Farsan Kareyn. I’m a law graduate and also a human activist. There was a code from Martin Luther King. Injustice anywhere can be a threat to justice everywhere. So I got this passion that when I’m privileged to exercise my fundamental rights and use my freedom of speech after this recent crisis in Iran plus in some other countries like Ukraine, like Afghanistan, we were thinking okay, how we can promote their ideas, how we can be a voice for voiceless people there that they cannot echo their voice to the world. We got together with Afghan communities and decided to find a day which is iconic and talks about women’s rights and we pick March 8. We’re gonna have some speakers, they are going to talk about their lived experience or the other thing which is kind of global messages not just like from Iran woman life, freedom. It’s an advanced slogan that is just like so meaningful that every woman can find some sort of relation to that. It’s not just talking about the recent crisis in Iran. Any rights that women are fighting for this message, this slogan can encompass. We welcome everyone who cares about human rights justice, the right to education and bodily autonomy to attend the rally today at 5:30 to 7:30 at 401 West Congress Street. For more information about the rally, you can visit the Tucson Afghan community Facebook page, the Iranian Students Cultural Association in Tucson has an account on Instagram, which is UA.icat. You can find the most updated information on their Instagram page. My name is Nazafarin Lotfi. My name is Farsan Kareyn and you are listening to KXCI International Women’s Day today.
Stand with Women of Afghanistan & Iran
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Magdalena Verdugo, CEO, YWCA Southern Arizona
Transcription: Hello, this is Magdalena Verdugo CEO of the YWCA of Southern Arizona. Today, on International Women’s Day will be hosting an International Women’s Day bike ride from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Join us on our campus at 525 North Bonita Avenue to initiate the ride. We are co-hosting this event with El Grupo empowering youth through bicycles. This event is open to the public. We actually have two events. Our second event is this Friday, March 10th, our 34th annual Women’s Leadership Conference, hard strong, bringing your whole self to leadership to find out more about the upcoming conference, visit us at our website YWCA Tucson dot org. This is Magdalena Verdugo Happy International Women’s Day.
Transcription: Hello, I’m Magdalena Verdugo CEO of the YWCA of Southern Arizona. My message on this International Women’s Day is on leadership, mentorship is leadership and it takes trust and vulnerability. You may have heard a quote that says something like, “we are our ancestor’s wildest dreams.” And from where I stand at this point in time, I wonder what our ancestors would think about the work that we are doing. The passion of this work for me is that their purpose is out there waiting for them for my daughter and your daughters and their daughters as women, mothers, daughters, and leaders. What are our wildest dreams for them? Let’s make those come true. This is Magdalena Verdugo CEO of the YWCA Southern Arizona. You are tuned in to KXCI Tucson on International Women’s Day.
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Quinn Reilly, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) at The University of Arizona
Transcription: Hi, I’m Quinn. I am the assistant director of the undergraduate biology research program, also known as Hubert just working in UBRP. I get to talk with a lot of students who are either new to stem or looking to get involved in research and stem. And it provides me a lot of hope the number of women that I see getting involved because women are still so underrepresented. I think it’s really important that we keep facilitating students who want to pursue those careers because a lot of the data and a lot of work that’s being done is still focused on men or men are used as sort of the average I was reading that crash test dummies for like when you’re testing, the safety of a car are always the size of like an average male and women actually have a higher percentage of injury and car accidents than men because the sort of safety features in cars are made to fit men and not the average size woman. And I think that the only way that we’re going to see sort of a shift and an improvement in things being more inclusive and representative of women is by facilitating women who want to get into STEM. I’m really excited about the future and the possibility that the women who are coming into stem will shift those standards and create more inclusive standards to improve the health and safety of women and people who identify as women. I’m Quinn. Thank you for joining us for International Women’s Day programming on KXCI Tucson.
Transcription: Hi, I’m Quinn. I am the assistant director of the undergraduate Biology research program, also known as Hubert. Thank you for joining us for International Women’s Day programming on KXCI Tucson. I think to start, it’s really important for men to reflect on their power and their privilege and how they’re treated in the world. And then after they’ve done that, I think it’s easier for them to notice sexism and to challenge sexism when they are confronted with it. I also think it’s important to like strive for equity in their personal relationships as well to not make assumptions about what they should do and about what the people who identify as women in their life should do. And I think that that’s really important, especially to support and uplift and listen to women and to support policies that help women. I’m Quinn. Thank you for joining us for International Women’s Day programming on KXCI Tucson.
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Mel Blumenthal, Outreach Director, F*ST Storytellers
Transcription: Hi, my name is Mel Blumenthal and I’m the Outreach Director for F*st Female Storytellers. Thank you for listening to KXCI Tucson on International Women’s Day. The cultural issues that inform the social architecture regarding the gender pay gap could be couched in policy where policy can address the needed changes are federal minimum wage increase pay transparency and a paramount concern is of course addressing the childcare crisis, we, the United States are one of the only leading economies that do not have mandatory of federally paid, maternal or paternal paid leave. We also don’t have any policy to address childcare which ultimately impacts women and female-identifying individuals. There are a lot of other issues that we need to address, but those are key issues where there could be policy changes that could make huge differences in closing the gender pay gap. This is Mel Blumenthal. Thank you for listening to KXCI Tucson on International Women’s Day.
Transcription: Hi, my name is Mel Blumenthal and I’m the outreach director for F*st Female Storytellers. Thank you for tuning in to KXCI Tucson for International Women’s Day. This year, we are honoring and recognizing the powerful voices of women to share their experiences, perspectives, and stories, storytelling is all about building community. It can be incredibly powerful cathartic and healing for the storyteller to have that courage and to have that vulnerability in getting up on stage in front of a group of strangers and telling their story. But it’s also that cross-transference in the audience and the people who are there listening. So much of the power is the silence. You know, we always hear it’s the silence that can be deadly. It is the silence that can cause so much damage. So by community storytelling, we break down walls because we’re breaking those barriers of silence by catalyzing these me too moments with community storytelling. That’s what can be really powerful too because I’ve seen it throughout the over decade now that I’ve been a part of female storytellers, is people will come up to somebody after a show and be like, thank you for sharing. I thought I was the only one that had ever been through this. That’s what can be incredibly powerful and incredibly healing again, not just for the storyteller, but for the people who are listening and hearing the stories. It’s the entire community that benefits from the power of storytelling, breaking down those barriers. This is Mel Blumenthal. Thank you for tuning in to KXCI Tucson for International Women’s Day.
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& Dr. Nadia Alvarez-Mexia, Assistant Professor of Practice, Director of Transborder Education Initiatives, Co-Director, Borderlands Education Center, W.A. Frankie Honors College / College of Education Affiliate Faculty: Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, Center of Latin American Studies & Global Studies at The University Of Arizona.
Dra. Nadia Alvarez-Mexia, Profesora Asistente de Práctica, Directora de Iniciativas de Educación Transfronteriza, Co-Directora, Centro de Educación Fronteriza, W.A. Frankie Honors College / Colegio de Educación Facultad Afiliada: Enseñanza, Aprendizaje y Estudios Socioculturales, Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Estudios Globales en la Universidad de Arizona.
Transcription: Hi, I’m Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. I have two names and two last names. I’m from Mexico. I’ve been in Tucson in the last 18 years. I’m a host of Tejiendo Identidades, I’m also a faculty member and a staff member in the University of Arizona. I’m also a mom, a wife, a daughter and I have so many roles and I’m so happy to be here talking about the International Women’s Day. I think we need more women in leadership because every time that we give and create spaces where other voices find a room to reside, those that we are around, we obtain a benefit. And when I’m saying a benefit, I’m not saying in terms of an advantage for us. What I’m saying is that having different voices, I think that enrich us as a society and better serve others. I’m not only thinking about women’s leadership in terms of their titles or positions in organization. I always thinking about also those women that their leaders in their community, that they’re making a difference in their homes, helping others, that leadership. It’s so powerful. So I think that’s why we need more women in leadership to really embrace those voices to really start creating a more inclusive and authentic communities. Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia, thank you for tuning in KXCI for International Women’s Day.
Hola, soy Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. Tengo dos nombres y dos apellidos. Soy de México. He vivido en Tucson los últimos 18 años. Soy anfitriona de Tejiendo Identidades, también soy miembro de la facultad y miembro del personal de la Universidad de Arizona. También soy mamá, esposa, hija – tengo tantos roles y estoy muy feliz de estar aquí hablando sobre el Día Internacional de la Mujer. Creo que necesitamos más mujeres en liderazgo porque cada vez que damos y creamos espacios donde otras voces encuentran un lugar para residir, las que estamos alrededor, obtenemos un beneficio. Y cuando digo un beneficio, no lo digo en términos de una ventaja para nosotros. Lo que digo es que tener voces diferentes creo que nos enriquece como sociedad y sirve mejor a los demás. No estoy pensando solo en el liderazgo de las mujeres en términos de sus títulos o posiciones en la organización. Siempre pienso en esas mujeres que son líderes en su comunidad, que están haciendo una diferencia en sus hogares, ayudando a otros, ese tipo de liderazgo. Es tan poderoso. Así que creo que es por eso que necesitamos más mujeres en el liderazgo para realmente involucrar esas voces para realmente comenzar a crear comunidades más inclusivas y auténticas. Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia, gracias por sintonizar KXCI para el Día Internacional de la Mujer.
Transcription: Hi, I’m Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. I have two names and two last names. I’m from Mexico. I’ve been in Tucson in the last 18 years. I’m a host of Tejiendo Identidades, I’m also a faculty member and a staff member in the University of Arizona. I’m also a mom, a wife, a daughter and I have so many roles and I’m so happy to be here talking about the International Women’s Day.Okay. So for these International Women’s Day, I would like to invite you to appreciate every single women that is part of your life, not only in your professional roles in your personal life, those that are here in this dimension and those that they already are in a different one, but their presence were an important one in your life. Thank you for listening KXCI, I’m Nadia Alvarez-Mexia and Happy International Women’s Day.
Hola, soy Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. Tengo dos nombres y dos apellidos. Soy de México. He vivido en Tucson los últimos 18 años. Soy anfitriona de Tejiendo Identidades, también soy miembro de la facultad y miembro del personal de la Universidad de Arizona. También soy mamá, esposa, hija – tengo tantos roles y estoy muy feliz de estar aquí hablando sobre el Día Internacional de la Mujer. Muy bien – para este Día Internacional de la Mujer, me gustaría invitarte a valorar a cada una de las mujeres que forman parte de tu vida, no solo en tus roles profesionales pero también en tu vida personal, las que están aquí en esta dimensión y las que ya están en una diferente, pero su presencia fue importante en tu vida. Gracias por escuchar KXCI, soy Nadia Alvarez-Mexia y Feliz Día Internacional de la Mujer.
Transcription: Hi, I’m Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. I have two names and two last names. I’m from Mexico. I’ve been in Tucson the last 18 years. I’m a host of Tejiendo Identidades, I’m also a faculty member and a staff member in the University of Arizona. I’m also a mom, a wife, a daughter and I have so many roles and I’m so happy to be here you know talking about International Women’s Day. I would like to share what a friend, a dear friend told me once, dear Nadia, it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. So I would like to share this with you and always remember it’s never too late to reinvent ourselves. Thank you for listening. KXCI, I’m Nadia Alvarez-Mexia and Happy International Women’s Day.
Hola, soy Nadia Yolanda Alvarez-Mexia. Tengo dos nombres y dos apellidos. Soy de México. He vivido en Tucson los últimos 18 años. Soy anfitriona de Tejiendo Identidades, también soy miembro de la facultad y miembro del personal de la Universidad de Arizona. También soy madre, esposa, hija – tengo tantos roles y estoy muy feliz de estar aquí, ya sabes, hablando del Día Internacional de la Mujer. Me gustaría compartir lo que una vez me dijo una amiga, una querida amiga: “Querida Nadia, nunca es tarde para reinventarte.” Así que me gustaría compartir esto contigo y recordar siempre que nunca es demasiado tarde para reinventarnos. Gracias por escuchar KXCI, soy Nadia Alvarez-Mexia y Feliz Día Internacional de la Mujer.
