On Thursday, three Student Government members will hold an informative seminar on women in Student Government to encourage women to run in the upcoming elections.

The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday in the Memorial Union Multicultural Center and will include a question and answer portion, a presentation over the history of women in Student Government and the presentation to qualify students to run for Student Government.

Zoey Shipley, Joi Latson and Rachael Barnes have spearheaded the event.

Zoey Shipley, a senior in political science and a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senator, said the event will hopefully give women a sense of empowerment to run for office.

Shipley also said the event will show women the change they can make by simply running.

“We want women to learn about why their voices are needed in political offices, including Student Government, and how they can be successful in these positions,” Shipley said.

Rachael Barnes, a senior in biological systems engineering and the Senior Director of Student Services, hopes the event will empower women to run.

“Gender balance in Student Government is essential for the growth and success of the organization,” Barnes said.

She also wants to encourage women to break gender barriers and fill spaces with women’s voices.

“Being in Student Government has been both an empowering and challenging experience, but by serving in these roles, we can be one step closer to equality and equity,” Barnes said.

During the event, they will also discuss the importance of women running for Student Government and the experiences of current Senate members.

Joi Latson, a senior in global resource systems and the Co-Director of New Student Outreach, also hopes that encouraging women to fill these positions will take steps to close the gender gap.

“In student governments nationwide, and in our country’s own government, there is a huge gap between the percentage of men and women in elected positions,” Latson said.

It is an opportunity for women to gather and learn more about the difference they can make in Student Government and how to run for the upcoming elections.