From a Whisper to a Wave: Spreading the Word about Women’s Week 2012

Women's Week traditionally celebrates women's accomplishments and stimulates conversation around the role of women today and the larger implications of gender at Harvard. The students behind the event are already generating conversation, starting with just a whisper.

The "Whisper Campaign" was the brainchild of the Women's Cabinet, a collaboration of different women's groups on campus. The campaign represents a unique form of publicity that is described by its organizers in equally unique terms.

"There are three major segments to it: babies, teens, and mamas," said Nur N. Ibrahim '13, an intern at the Harvard College Women's Center as well as a Crimson photographer.

Harvard students have already seen segment one: the "babies." The Wonder Woman posters displayed around campus were recently revealed to be this year's Women's Week logo.

This week, the publicity campaign has entered its "teen" years, and students will see posters with more information.

"The idea behind it was just to convey the sense of progressing from giving hints to dropping more information…and this progressed to a more open way of expressing what exactly is going on," Ibrahim said.

The Whisper Campaign is new this year and has already garnered attention.

The organizers of Women's Week 2012 are hopeful that this "whisper" will grow into something much louder.

"I think people are going to be curious about this because they've seen the symbols everywhere," Ibrahim said. "I feel like this is definitely more effective than a regular email."

Women's Week 2012 is co-sponsored by the Harvard College Women's Center and The Seneca, Inc., with support from the Women's Cabinet, and will take place from March 4-9.