Women have acquired a remarkable power: We’re now allowed to fight fires, work on cars and wear baggy jeans, whereas if a man is caught wearing make-up or even dancing ballet, things do not go as smoothly for him. In that way, women have ascended from a position of extreme limitation to possessing greater freedom than men. Yet somehow, gender has a female connotation; men are people and women are, well, women.

What does it mean to be a woman during these conflicted times? And how have we gotten here? A lineup of local events celebrating March as International Women’s Month take different approaches to telling the story of the struggles and victories of women.

Humanitarian organization CARE celebrates International Women’s Day (the official day is March 8) by broadcasting a multi-faceted program in 484 movie theaters across the nation. Inspired by stories from the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, the event features various celebrity panelists and performers as well as the premiere showing of Woinshet, a film by Academy Award-winner Marisa Tomei that documents an Ethiopian woman’s victorious struggle against violence and discrimination.

7:30pm Thursday, March 4. Century 13 Cinemas, 1700 Del Monte Center, Monterey. $12.50. 373-8051.

Linda Tarr-Whelan – distinguished Demos senior fellow, President Clinton’s ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and author of Women Lead the Way – keynotes a dynamic evening on women in leadership that includes a reception, info fair and panel. The Women's International Perspective (The WIP), based in Monterey, hosts the event, which is co-sponsored by the Women's Fund of Monterey County.

5:30pm Monday, March 8 info fair and reception; 6:30-8pm keynote and panel. James Irvine Auditorium, 499 Pierce St., McCone Building at MIIS, Monterey. $35 includes a copy of Tarr-Whelan’s book; $20/student. 644-0116.

Local author-teacher Patrice Vecchione explores what it means for a woman to come of age with a dramatic presentation of her fictional memoir A Woman’s Life in Pieces. In this one-woman show, she embodies the character of Calla Lily so completely you’re unsure whether you’re watching a play or eavesdropping. The show’s debut filled Wave Street Studios to overflowing; now CSUMB’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute invites the seasoned writer and ripening actress back for an encore.

7:30pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday, March 6-7. CSUMB Music Hall, Building 30 on 6th Avenue, Seaside. Saturday: $20/gen; $10/student. Sunday benefit for OLLI: $35. 582-5500.

Telling the other side of women’s U.S. “herstory,” Friends of Greenfield Library present Adelante Mujeres, a documentary on Mexican-American women’s experiences across five centuries. Created by the National Women’s History Project, the film honors 25 Chicana women as centers of their families, activists in their communities and creators of history. Discussion and refreshments follow.

4pm Tuesday, March 9. Friends of Greenfield Library, 315 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free. 674-0688.

Almost a century after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, the Humanist Association of Monterey Bay Area celebrates the courageous efforts of early women’s rights activists by screening An American Revolution: Women Take Their Place, which tells the story of Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony – and of a statue erected in their honor at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in 1921 in celebration of the amendment’s passing. The statue was soon banished to the basement crypt, not to return until ’97. The HAMB’s Rosemary Stanton leads a post-film discussion.

6:30pm Wednesday, March 10. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 601-3770.

Bring grandmother’s specialty or a dish from across the globe to the United Nations Association’s annual International Women’s Day potluck. For some intellectual sustenance, Dr. Jan Knippers Black, professor of International Policy at MIIS, presents “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights.” Black has authored or co-authored more than 20 books on international development and Latin America, focusing particularly on women’s role therein.

In addition, Aditi Foundation dancers Bruce and Judy Cowan entertain. All are invited to dress in ethnic or international attire for a feast as multi-dimensional as a female human being.

6pm Saturday, March 13. Unitarian Universalist Church, 480 Aguajito Road. Free. 624-7404.

Asilomar State Park and Conference Center partners with the American Association of University Women for a program begins with a “Building the Future for California State Parks” speech by Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks. AAUW picks up on this forward-looking mood with an address entitled “Building the Future of Women Through Education” while also paying tribute to Betty Van Meter and Mez Benton for their development of local scholarship programs for women. An optional luncheon follows.

10:30am Saturday, March 27. Grace H. Dodge Chapel, Asilomar Conference Grounds, 800 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free; $15 for luncheon. Reservations required by March 18 for luncheon. 373-4197.