Mosaic, Carnegie Mellon’s annual conference on women’s issues, took place Sunday in the University Center. This year’s theme was “Our Stories, Our Voices: Listen, Act, Inspire;” the conference was scheduled to coincide with Carnegie Mellon’s celebration of Women’s History Month.

Mosaic was founded in an attempt to provide information and support to women in the campus community. This year, speakers and panels spoke on topics ranging from women's business, to cultural relativism, to women’s health.

Lynn Cullen, an award-winning television reporter and current host of a radio talk show on 1360 WPTT, delivered a talk named “The Ugliest Reality Show Yet: Behind the Scenes in TV and Radio.” In a lively and engaging manner, Cullen criticized the lack of diverse opinions in today’s TV and radio programs.

“Advertisers today don’t want to market to a female audience. They want young; they want male; they want clueless,” she said.

Cullen condemned talk radio as a medium “built for one purpose: to create conflict,” and expressed alarm at the growing consolidation of media venues in the US.

“Americans need to educate themselves about the negative influence that the media is having on them,” Cullen concluded.

A more global approach was present in “Cultural Relativism: Can we criticize?,” a discussion between four Carnegie Mellon faculty and students about the status of women in other cultures. Dr. Marie Norman, a visiting professor of anthropology, characterized cultural relativism as an effort that “seeks to understand other societies on their own terms.” She spoke about the lack of feminist movements in other cultures.

“The oppression of a patriarchy may be the last concern of women facing more serious, immediate threats … such as abuse [and] exploitation.”

Ayeshah Al-Humaidhi, a masters student at the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, spoke at length about the issues that Middle Eastern women face today.

“The Koran gives a great deal of rights to women, but in many countries these rules have been misinterpreted,” Al-Humaidhi said.

She emphasized the decisive role that education will play in the lives of Middle Eastern women: “My goal is to go back to the Koran; for Muslim women to read it and interpret it and empower themselves.”

Lema Bostock, also a student at the Heinz School, spoke about the changing role of women in Caribbean culture. Emphasizing the racial and ethnic diversity of the area, she spoke about the emancipation of Caribbean women in a region long affected by slavery and colonialism.

“We have evolved from a sex that simply bears children to a sex that actively contributes to our society.”

Bostock called attention to the unequal status of women in the Caribbean workforce and the domestic violence common in the area.

Dr. Sylvia Borzutzky, a teacher at the Heinz School and director of Carnegie Mellon’s political science program, addressed the current situation of Latin American women.

“There is not something that we can call a typical Latin American woman,” Borzutzky said. “Instead, a woman’s rights in Latin America depend on whether she is poor, rich, or middle-class.”

She praised the recent establishment of social programs in Latin American countries, which often benefited women the most. But she criticized the move towards globalization.

“Globalization has led to a decrease in fiscal spending, as a result, many of these programs are being destroyed, and it is women who suffer.”

The day’s keynote speaker was Bonnie Campbell, former Iowa Attorney General and former head of the Department of Justice’s “Violence against Women” program. Campbell delivered Mosaic’s keynote speech to a well-attended lunch session in Rangos Hall. She told many anecdotes and stories about her experience running for office and spearheading an effort to end the abuse and exploitation of women.

Campbell condemned the lax and contradictory approach that many governments have taken toward battery.

“We often go through extraordinary gymnastics to blame the woman involved in an abusive relationship,” said Campbell. “In many countries, the penalty for trafficking women isn’t nearly as high as that for trafficking drugs.”

She narrated her experiences with battered and abused women she encountered in her travels through the world. During a question and answer session, Campbell criticized the Bush Administration for its push for faith-based efforts to solve the problem of violence against women. Campbell also urged the audience to keep in mind Hillary Clinton’s statement at a recent women’s conference in Beijing.

“Women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights. Now and forever.”