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October 4, 2004

Vol. IX, No. 4

Northridge to Salute Five 'Phenomenal Women'

Awards Event Will Honor Women Active in Health, Human Rights, Media, Culture, Education

Five women will receive Cal State Northridge's Phenomenal Women Awards at a Women's Studies Department fundraising event slated for 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, in the Grand Salon of the University Student Union.
"The women that we celebrate are local women who are activists in their respective areas, whether it's in medicine or in the media. But they have each made an impact on people's lives," said Marta Lopez-Garza, Women's Studies interim chair.
An honorary award will be presented to Rigoberta Menchś Tum, winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and a leading advocate of indigenous rights in Guatemala and in the Western Hemisphere.
Recipients of the Phenomenal Women Awards will be:
Dr. Laila Al-Marayati(right), director of obstetrics and gynecology at California Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Al-Marayati is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USC and a founder of the Muslim Women's League.

Donna Brown Guillaume(left), a producer for PBS, HBO and CBS. Guillaume's television successes include the highly acclaimed HBO documentary "Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives."

Bess Lomax Hawes(right), a retired Cal State Northridge anthropology professor who helped create and was the first director of the National Endowment for the Arts' Folk Arts Program. In 1993, President Bill Clinton presented her with the National Medal of Arts.

Delia Rudiger(left), recently retired from her position as chief of staff to the president of Cal State Northridge. A longtime supporter of the Women's Studies Department, Rudiger was known for her commitment to students, women faculty and faculty from underrepresented groups.

Sonali Kolhatkar(right), morning host of radio station KPFK's news digest, "Uprising." Kolhatkar is vice president of the Afghan Women's Mission, which works to improve health and educational facilities for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

A silent auction is planned for the Phenomenal Women event, held every other year to support Women's Studies Department programs and student and faculty research.
Tickets for the event are available by contacting the Women's Studies Department at (818) 677-3110.