On Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., Dovile Budryte, Lisa M. Vaughn, and Natalya Riegg talk about their book Feminist Conversations: Women, Trauma, and Empowerment in Post-Transitional Societies.

Budryte, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Georgia Gwinnett College, Vaughn, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, and Riegg, a Professor of Political Science and Global Studies at the University of St. Mary, developed a book that serves as a forum of cross-cultural communication among women from different parts of the world.

Feminist Conversations draws on several disciplines, including gender studies, psychology and political science, to gain insight into the following questions: Do post-transitional societies become more women-friendly as they become more democratic? Which strategies of empowerment can women use to obtain political voice and improve their everyday lives? How do they cope with traumatic experiences and memories?

Women’s rights activists and feminist scholars from Lithuania, Armenia, South Africa, Guatemala and the United States reflect on the productivity of different practices for increasing political standing, the efficiency of different methods of dealing with gender violence and the different empowerment mechanisms of coping with trauma. The authors engage in a dialogue about the applicability of these practices, methods and mechanisms to various countries and cultures.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the International Relations Council and the University of St. Mary. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the presentation.