Women's Center

Revision as of 10:52, October 12, 2011 by Lvw1 (talk | contribs)

Mission Statement: The Williams College Women's Center strives to create a forum for women's issues, both in the context of Williams and the outside community. By creating an inclusive and productive space we hope to question dominant social structures and challenge the status quo. We strive, through our programming, to encourage analysis of feminism and thereby turn discourse into practice. Our core programming is based in the desire to formulate intellectual engagement, interactive discourse and collaborative activism. Feminism and a commitment to equality drive our group. We hope to illuminate the presence of feminism in everyday life and thereby demonstrate its relevance to the culture of our college campus.

Who We Are: The Women's Center is a student group that promotes conversation and activism around women's issues and feminisms. We host collective meetings every other week in Hardy House on Wednesday nights at 8pm where we talk about a variety of topics covering anything from whether or not Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga is a better feminist icon, to student activism on campus, to the hows and why of violence against women in the Congo. On alternating weeks with these meetings, we invite faculty and staff members to facilitate lunch discussions that have covered women and healthcare, "Can a Man Be a Feminist?", and representations of women in art. We also have special programming such as celebrating Women's History Month in March.

Some examples of events from last year: Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October with RASAN (Rape and Sexual Abuse Network), a poster campaign using song lyrics to promote sex positivism during Sex Week, a donation drive for the Elizabeth Freeman Center (local center that provides support for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse), and a faculty lunch with Professor Brian Martin (French, Comp. Lit.) on sexuality in Scandinavia.

If you have any questions about who we are, what we do, or are interested in being added to our listserv, please feel free to email us! Also, find us on Facebook! facebook.com/williamswomenscenter

Contact Lily Wong at lvw1 [at] williams [dot] edu with questions or for more info.