on the air
“No woman can call herself free who cannot own and control her body.”-Margaret Sanger
Untitled — Sonene Donelly I aim to portray the unique beauty of empowered women whose faces are born solely from my imagination but whose personalities are drawn from the many strong women who inspire me.
Remarkable achievements are made by women in their everyday lives, without them being famous or receiving accolades for their impactful actions. But in our society, we seem obsessed with celebrity status and quest for fame and notoriety. Such was the inspiration for the CWG’s “Remarkable Women” segment aired on Utah Public Radio in early 2016. “The reason for choosing the term “remarkable” women (as opposed to famous) is that we all have tremendous capacity to do remarkable things, even when we don’t know we are doing them at the time,” said USU professor Helga Van Miegroet. The CWG's board member Helga and student Lily Palmer created the series, which was produced by Utah Public Radio’s Shalayne Smith Needham. “In producing each segment, a common thread emerges. From Rosa Parks to Olene Smith Walker, each woman’s story portrays courage and hope. Courage to be true to themselves and a hope for each of us to aspire to our own greatness. In the global challenges before us, UPR’s goal in bringing Remarkable Women to our listeners, is to not only remind us of the historical significance each woman represents, but how they continue to impact our lives today.” The women featured are women within the political and civil rights arena - including Utahns like Olene Walker (former Utah governor) and Martha Hughes Cannon (first female US Senator). Utah Public Radio’s mission is “to enrich the lives of listeners…with quality programming designed to inspire the mind, engage the imagination and perpetuate the habit of lifelong learning.” I feel Remarkable Women integrates “remarkably” well with our philosophy.” The Remarkable Women series was designed by The Center for Women & Gender and produced by Utah Public Radio.
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