Campus Connection

A conference and workshop on how women can “move ahead” in their communities, work places and beyond will be Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, at 150 Murphy Library, UW-La Crosse. The Friday, April 17 Women Moving Ahead conference will feature presentations from UW-L Alumnus and former IBM executive Shelmina Babai Abji who contributed $5,000 to support the conference, as well as State Sen. Jennifer Shilling and 95th District State Rep. Jill Billings. Shilling and Billings will talk about obstacles women face in politics, how they’ve learned to overcome them, and how their message relates to all women. The half-day $tart $mart Salary Negotiation Workshop Saturday, April 18 prepares women to engage in the job market with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to negotiate salaries and benefits. [caption id="attachment_39701" align="alignleft" width="240"] Shelmina Babai Abji[/caption] The conference and workshop are open to anyone and registration is now open; however, space is limited. Participants can sign up for the conference with or without the Saturday salary negotiation workshop. Students who register for either day will have their registration fees refunded when they attend. Learn more and register online. It’s good timing for a community discussion on the value of women in leadership as the topic is increasingly being discussed in research, literature and online internationally, says Larry Sleznikow, a UW-L staff member who is helping coordinate the event. Research on women’s contributions to the workplace show the value of a diverse workforce. One such study, co-authored by an MIT researcher, found that workplaces with equal numbers of males and females are more productive and help the company's financial performance, compared to offices that lack gender diversity. “The vast majority people attending will be women,” says Sleznikow. “But men too, need to be aware of the different perspective women provide, which is valuable to get positive results.” Sleznikow had the original idea for the event in 2013 after reading the book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, on a plane ride to visit two of his daughters living in San Francisco. The book’s message about differences in gender in the workplace resonated with Sleznikow who has three daughters in their 20s who are embarking on careers. One recently landed a position as the first female employee of more than 20 men at a technology start-up company. Sleznikow says since conceiving of the conference, the pieces have come together naturally. It was a “happy coincidence,” he says, that Babai Abji, who has a passion for empowering women, stepped forward with a donation for the conference. She will also be the keynote presenter. While the event happens at UW-L, Sleznikow stressed that community organizations have helped plan the event including: the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the La Crosse Public Library, the La Crosse School District and the La Crosse YWCA. Also involved in planning are: Teri Holford-Talpe, a librarian in UW-L’s Murphy Library; UW-L Provost Heidi Macpherson; the UW-L Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department; UW-L Career Services; UW-L Office of International Education and UW-L’s Continuing Education and Extension Department; as well as others. The conference will also include a session on enhancing confidence and public speaking skills with UW-L Associate Professor Tony Docan-Morgan. Professor Jodi Vandenberg-Daves will talk about expanding women’s opportunities by transforming workplaces. A panel will discuss a broader international view on women.