Women's History Month 2024

March marks the annual recognition of Women’s History Month, a time when we celebrate and recognize the contributions of women everywhere.

This year, the Women@SLAC Employee Resource Group and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office are proud to offer many ways to connect with colleagues during Women’s History Month. Events are open to all SLAC employees. 

Women’s History Month Trivia & Baking Contest

The Women@SLAC ERG is hosting a WHM Trivia and Cookie Baking Contest. The baking contest is optional. See flyer for more information. Please RSVP here. 

Tuesday, March 5 at 3 p.m.
B40, Sycamore Conference Room
or join via Zoom ID: 981 7401 6783 PW: 560040
Contact: Mary Nelson for more information and the calendar invite or download here.
nelsonm@slac.stanford.edu

Reproductive Safety in the workplace

**CANCELLED will be rescheduled** 

Join the Women@SLAC ERG on March 13 at 2 p.m. for a seminar on reproductive health and safety in the workplace with Holly McDiffet-Mahaffey. 
Coffee and light refreshments provided. 

This talk is intended to provide an awareness of potential workplace hazards, such as chemicals, radioactivity, noise and heat, which can impact fertility. ES&H has resources to share that will help staff recognize and mitigate potential risks in the workplace.

Wednesday, March 13 at 2pm
BG53, Trinity
or join via Zoom
Contact: Shirin Ketabforoush for more information. Download the calendar invite here. 

Interlab Speaker: Kate Maxwell presents “Women in the Arena” 

Join the Women@SLAC ERG on March 21 at 11 a.m. for a Department of Energy Interlab Women's History Month event with Kate Maxwell. WERG will host an in-person screening of the talk in the Redwood Conference Room followed by a networking lunch.  

Women in the Arena 

Talk Abstract: 

It takes courage to lead, to be different, and to show up as an agent of change, particularly
in the face of naysayers. It is bravery and authenticity – not fearlessness – that is our superpower. This talk explores what it means to be that Woman in the Arena who strives, who struggles, who keeps showing up, and who never loses track of who she is and what she stands for.

Thursday, March 21 at 11 a.m.
Redwood Conference Room. 
DOE RSVP Link
Contact: Shirin Ketabforoush for more information. Download the calendar invite here.

Women’s History Month | SLAC Reads book club discussion

Join the SLAC Reads book club for a discussion of “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” by Caroline Criado Perez. Complete this form for a copy of the book. Lunch provided. 

Tuesday, March 26 at 11:30 a.m.
Berryessa Conference Room
Zoom Link
Contact: Shirin Ketabforoush for more information. Download the calendar invite here. 

It has come to our attention that some of the language in Invisible Women is trans and intersex exclusive. This article was shared with us, and includes some example quotes that exclude discussion of trans and non-binary individuals. Unfortunately, we did not understand or realize this before the book was selected, and we apologize for that. As a reminder of how the book was selected, we solicited book suggestions from members and have kept a running list of book suggestions for the past three years. WERG leadership selected eight books from the list, and all staff were invited to vote over a two week period. We received 33 votes this year, and selected the book with the most votes. 

Regardless of the selection process, we want to acknowledge and confirm that trans women are women, and that any language or inference otherwise is not supported by our leadership team. This also serves as a reminder that selection of a book is not necessarily an endorsement of all messages in a book, but an invitation to read and critique. As an opportunity for us all to learn, we will open the book club discussion by addressing this topic, and look forward to a meaningful discussion with participants. Intersectionality is an important component of DEI, and no group should be excluded by omission or intention. 

As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns via email (werg-leadership@slac.stanford.edu) or slack (#women-at-slac).

Other upcoming events:
Time Management Workshop: 2 part series. 
March 28th/April 18th, 11am - 1:00pm
Trinity Conference Room/ Zoom
Please RSVP HERE if you plan on attending in person by March 22nd. 
Download the calendar invite for part 1
Download the calendar invite for part 2

Fidelity Finance Workshops: 2 part series.
May 15th/May 28th, 11:30am - 1:00pm
Redwood Conference Room/Zoom

Stay connected
Stay up to date about Women@SLAC’s quarterly meetings and year-round events, and join the listserv and #women-at-slac-erg Slack channel.

For more information about the SLAC Reads book club, including news of each month’s book, connecting with the community or staying informed about future events, join the #slac-reads-book-club Slack channel.

You can also join the #slac-dei-office Slack channel for the latest news, events and activities from the DEI Office. And be sure to download the latest Zoom backgrounds.

Contact Shirin Ketabforoush with any questions.

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A note on participation and time-charging: Supervisors are encouraged to allow employees to participate in community activities as operations permit. Employees should charge their usual PA since the activities provide value to SLAC. However, if a particular project requires work to be backfilled during this time, a separate PA number might be required. For employees who are part of a service center, they should charge their shop’s UDT (undistributed time) code. For exceptions or complex charging situations, reach out to your business manager.