The theme for this year’s annual Women’s Empowerment March, hosted by Creighton University’s Eileen B. Lieben Center for Women, was “Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.”  

“I look forward to this event every year,” College of Arts and Sciences junior Vanessa White, a co-coordinator for the Lieben Center, said in an email. “Seeing events like the march on Creighton’s campus makes me feel supported and motivated to be the best person I can be. I get the opportunity to meet so many women and create new friendships.” 

Participants were given shirts that were representative of the march’s theme and then heard speeches from Sangeetha Kumar, the associate director for student care and outreach, and College of Arts and Sciences senior Cleo Zagurski. Zagurski currently works at OutNebraska, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community in Nebraska; she has also interned for State Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, and engaged with the Women’s Fund of Omaha. Additionally, she researches gendered health policies in Nebraska’s Unicameral Legislature and is a founding member of the New Voices Youth Engagement Cohort, which is an organization that focuses on supporting young Nebraskan candidates.  

“As a student, researcher and advocate, I’ve seen firsthand how inclusion makes the difference between barriers that hold us back and opportunities that propel us forward,” Zagurski said in her speech. “Today, I want to share how mentorship, education and resilience—when rooted in inclusion—can change lives and better our community… But inclusion is rarely given freely—it is fought for. And that takes resilience… Inclusion is not just about one person. It’s about all of us. Imagine a world where every woman – regardless of background, race, ability or identity – has a seat at the table, a voice in decision-making and the confidence to lead. A world where young women don’t have to ask, ‘do I belong here?’ because they already know they do. That world is not a dream. It’s a choice. It’s a choice we make every time we mentor, every time we advocate for access, every time we refuse to accept exclusion as the norm. It is built by our voices, our connections and our resilience.”  

Both speeches, which also discussed what it’s like to be a woman in leadership, inspired participants.  

“Sangeetha and Cleo shared powerful testimonials about their journey as women in leadership. … Both Sangeetha’s and Cleo’s speeches were impactful. What was most memorable to me was hearing about how far they’ve come in their journeys, which inspired me to achieve my goals and [not] accept failure. They both spoke about the ways in which they had to be resilient and persevere through the rejections and hardships, but nonetheless, their unwavering efforts led them to where they are today—strong, powerful women,” White said.   

Zagurski wanted to honor the women in her life who have made safe, welcoming spaces for her.  

“My speech focused on how we create inclusive spaces through mentorship, education and resilience,” she said in an email. “I was struck by how much the people in my life have created spaces that welcomed me with open arms, and I wanted to talk about that.” 

Following the speeches, marchers walked down the California Street Pedestrian Mall to the Mike and Josie Harper Center while carrying signs with handwritten messages like “women’s rights are human rights” and “empowered women empower women.”   

The march was followed by a reception in Harper.  

Participants like White found the march enjoyable and meaningful.   

“We walked together to Harper, holding the signs with pride as many students and faculty passed by, showing their support through claps and cheers. … [During the reception,] we all came together to bond and learn more about one another,” White said. 

The purpose of the march was to bring women together as a community on campus and spread empowerment to other women at Creighton.  

“The Women’s Empowerment March is a celebration of how far Creighton has come to support the female members of our community and is a reflection on the work that still needs to be done,” Zagurski said. “The march was a safe and fun event to connect with fellow members of our campus community. I appreciate that Creighton supports all members of our community and provides this space each year.”