The First Women in Science Events of 2025 and Ways You Can Act Up this Women’s History Month
On a new moon night, the 27th of February, tucked away on Hawthorne Boulevard and surrounded by board games and beer, Women in Science Portland gathered to laugh and create friendly discourse. In turbulent times like these, intentionally building networks of support is one of the most critical acts we can take.
In a recent survey conducted by Women in Science Portland, we asked our members how the recent NIH funding cuts have affected our local women in science, both in tangible ways and emotionally. You all shared personal stories of graduate students losing funding, barriers being rebuilt, and feeling like there is no choice but to look for careers outside of science. It’s difficult to witness the effects of these funding cuts in our community and their impact reflects the state of, well, everything; rising authoritarianism in America and around the world, the climate crisis, inadequate health care, and global spikes in violence (3-7). It’s all interconnected.
At the same time, many survey participants asked for methods to take action and fight back against these systemic changes. First and foremost, know that you are not alone, nor powerless, in this fight. It’s easy to overlook how emboldened we are now, as women in America. After centuries of hard fought battles and collective organizing, we have unprecedented power and freedom of self-determination that many women around the world continue to fight for (1).
If our government is not willing to create the necessary communities of care for a civil society, we must step into that role, developing community networks that prioritize care for each other over centralizing power, money and resources. The battle begins with centering the networks and communities within your sphere of influence. What are the causes you are most passionate about? What is a subject you can discuss for hours? Who is someone that inspires you in Portland? What is a community you can help to develop and strengthen over the next four years?
On February 18th, Tong Zhang, Assistant Dean for Inclusive Innovation at Portland State University’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, hosted a Networking 101 event with Women in Science Portland. Here, she discussed the importance of social capital.
Social capital is the “value derived from positive connections between people" (2). It is the idea that we, as individuals, hold a lot of collective power through intentional networking. One of the key takeaways from the Networking 101 event was the difference between a relational and transactional connection. A transactional connection has a clear give, take, result. Throughout a relational connection, however, the outcome of the relationship is unknown, it is a source of nurturing, and opportunities naturally arise. These are the connections that build networks of collective care. We need friendship right now. The first goal is to connect and form relationships, collective action will follow suit.
March is Women's History month, a great time to act up by building your network of collective care. Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you harvest the fruit. Below are some events to get you excited for the revolution.
“Well behaved women seldom make history.”
Events
EVERY TUESDAY, MARCH 04th-25th - PDX - Discover Kickboxing: A Beginner's Overview @ G.I.R.L.S. Gym
TUESDAY, MARCH 11th - PDX - PSU Vocal Collective @ The Old Church.
PSU Vocal Collective at The Old Church in Portland, OR - Tuesday, March 11 - EverOut Portland
FREE - THURSDAY, MARCH 13 - PDX - SheJumps x Mountain Shop - Get The Girls Out! Film Screening.
FREE - THURSDAY, MARCH 13 - PDX - March DIY Textile Workshop w/ Claudia.
March DIY Textile Workshop w/ Claudia Tickets, Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite
FREE - SATURDAY, MARCH 15th - PDX - WomenFirst Women's History Month Event.
WomenFirst Women's History Month Event Tickets, Sat, Mar 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite
SATURDAY, MARCH 15th - Beaverton - Guided Group Meditation for Women.
Guided Group Meditation for Women Registration, Sat, Mar 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM | Eventbrite
SUNDAY, MARCH 16th - VANCOUVER, WA - Crafty Book Club: Junk Journal Workshop.
Crafty Book Club: Junk Journal Workshop Tickets, Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite
FREE - THURSDAY, MARCH 20th - PDX - Adventures in Respected LadyLand - Library Presentation by DJ Action Slacks @ Happy Valley Library.
MONDAY, MARCH 24th - PDX - In-Person POWER Women's Networking - PDX Women Entrepreneur Roundtable.
In-Person POWER Women's Networking! Tickets, Mon, Mar 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM | Eventbrite
TUESDAY, MARCH 25th - PDX - Women's Circle: Spring Equinox Celebration.
Women's Circle: Spring Equinox Celebration Tickets, Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
FREE + ONLINE - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26th - Find Your Niche and Nail Your Pitch: How to Attract Customers Workshop.
Works Cited:
“Detailed Timeline.” National Women’s History Alliance, 9 Oct. 2023, nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/detailed-timeline/.
Mask, Rick L. “What Is Social Capital and Why Is It so Important?” Southern New Hampshire University, 19 Nov. 2019, www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/what-is-social-capital.
Mazza, Patrick. “To Confront the Oligarchy, We Need to Build Power at the Community Level.” Resilience, 24 Jan. 2025, www.resilience.org/stories/2025-01-24/to-confront-the-oligarchy-we-need-to-build-power-at-the-community-level/.
Paddison, Laura. “A Striking New Visualization Looks like a Flower Blooming but Tells an Alarming Story about What’s Happening to the Planet.” CNN, Cable News Network, 7 Mar. 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/climate/visual-temperature-rise/index.html.
Shmerling, Robert H. “Is Our Healthcare System Broken?” Harvard Health, Harvard Health Publishing, 13 July 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-our-healthcare-system-broken-202107132542#:~:text=The%20US%20healthcare%20system%20is%20expensive%2C%20complicated%2C%20dysfunctional,of%20spending%20that%20do%20not%20directly%20benefit%20patients.
Tong, Scott, and Lynn Menegon. “Authoritarianism Expert Weighs in on Trump, Musk and the Fate of U.S. Democracy.” Here & Now, WBUR.org, 27 Feb. 2025, www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/02/27/us-democracy.
UNODC and UN Women, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides (United Nations publication, 2024). Femicides-in-2023-global-estimates-of-intimate-partner-family-member-femicides-en.pdf