The Bradford Area Public Library will host a panel discussion on gender discrimination and sexual harassment as part of National Women’s History Month, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The discussion will be moderated by Colette Roessler, the library’s marketing and adult programming coordinator. The panelists will be Marcie Schellhammer, associate editor of The Era; Anne Holliday, news director of WESB; Dr. Nancy McCabe, professor of writing and director of the writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford; Dr. Tracee Howell, assistant professor of English and director of English composition and of the Writing Center at Pitt-Bradford; Stephanie Eckstrom, master of social work program coordinator at Pitt-Bradford; and Michele Alfieri-Causer, Smethport-based attorney and former district attorney.

Roessler said she was inspired to have this panel discussion in response to a growing trend of women coming forward to say that they have been sexually harassed or discriminated against.

A month to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of women seemed like a good time to discuss the topics.

“Historically, women have struggled together to improve conditions for women and work towards equality for women,” Roessler said. “I want attendees to come away from this panel discussion knowing that they are never alone. As women throughout our nation let their voices be heard as they speak openly about their experiences; more women will feel confident to come forward and speak as well.”

Library director Lacey Love said the event covers important topics, both of which are prevalent in today’s news.

“Even as someone working in a female-dominated industry — 80 percent of library school graduates are women — it’s difficult to ignore the gender discrimination that persists in the field,” Love said. “A disproportionate number of library directors are men, and you only have to take one look at the Library Journal 2017 Salaries and Placements survey to see that male librarian salaries are higher than women’s on average all across the board.

“Having a panel discussion about these issues is incredibly valuable,” she continued. “The only way to fix the problem is to shed light on it.”

During the panel discussion, Schellhammer will speak on the challenges of being a female journalist. She will discuss the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in major media publications, and the traditional assignment of hard news beats to men rather than women.

Holliday will talk about sexual harassment in politics, sports, Hollywood and the media, as well as how the accuser and the accused are treated. She will discuss the recent backlash on the #MeToo movement, and whether that might silence victims or will women be empowered to speak up despite the negative comments.

McCabe will discuss sexual harassment in academia and publishing. She will also speak about the portrayal of women in literature and the changes seen in female characters’ roles and development.

Howell will discuss the portrayal of women in literature and how it has changed. She will talk about whether parents treat boys and girls differently and hold different expectations for them, and what impact that might have. Does it create a foundation where we teach women to accept that it will occur and not to fight it?

Eckstrom will talk about the impact sexual harassment and gender discrimination have on the victims, why people harass, why other women are the harshest critics of those who do come forward and how others can show support.

Alfieri-Causer will talk about the legal definitions of gender discrimination and sexual harassment, what one should do if victimized, the steps to filing a claim, how to know whether there is a case and the legal ramifications to filing a complaint.

Questions must be submitted in writing prior to the program. Light refreshments and an opportunity to meet the panelists will follow the program.

The panel discussion is the start of the month’s events at the library. A tribute to women will be held throughout the month.

“We will have books on display about the history of women and biographies of women who have made a difference in the areas of law, history, science and medicine,” Roessler said. “We will also have inspiring quotes from women throughout Bradford.”

Roessler is also penning a series of articles to run in The Era, honoring the lives of several famous women of Bradford, as well as the challenges and successes of several women currently in leadership positions.