Newsworthy
GSWS Buttons
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Drop by the department to pick up a button to wear with pride!
Vigilantism No Fix for Gender Violence
By Catherine Murray and Jen Marchbank, Special to The Sun
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Public support for the four cloaked young men from Chilliwack, who trolled online for men soliciting young women for sex, shows a desire to take a stand on gender violence in British Columbia. However, outing such pedophiles is not a reality show, and vigilantism is hardly the right response. But this episode proves two things. Read more... |
Sexist Attitudes May have Inhibited InvestigationsLaura Track, West Coast LEAF, Special to The Sun |
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The allegations of sexual harassment rocking the RCMP should be of great concern to us all. The RCMP provides policing services throughout most of British Columbia and is charged with protecting our safety and security. But if the RCMP can’t ensure the safety and security of its own female members within their positions on the force, what faith can we have in its ability to ensure the safety of anyone else, let alone vulnerable and marginalized women in our communities? Read more... |
Rick Mercer's television rant against the bullying of gay teens goes viral
By: The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - Openly gay comedian Rick Mercer seems to have struck a chord with his call for an end to bullying in school by calling attention to the problem with one of his signature "rants." Mercer added his voice Tuesday to the chorus of calls from opinion makers that the bullying of gay teens in school be stopped. Read more and watch the video...
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Brian Burtch Confronts Homophobia
Brian Burtch was a guest contributor on the FEDCAN blog at Equity Matters. He wrote an article called, Education Matters: Confronting Homophobia and Transphobia in Schools.
This entry is part of the CFHSS’s VP Equity Issues series on issues related to LGBTQI2-S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, intersex and Two-Spirited) peoples.
Our awareness of homophobia and transphobia in high schools has been heightened by a growing body of research and media commentary that is beginning to take seriously the dynamics of exclusion and resistance experienced by LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirited, and questioning) students. As Rebecca Haskell and I wrote in our book, Get That Freak, “Sometimes the lessons are brutal, involving bullying that is so persistent and hateful that young people take their own lives, whether they have been targeted for their sexual orientation, gender identity or any other number of reasons.” For us, it is important that homophobia and transphobia are not dismissed as incidental but rather as part-and-parcel of school contexts where LGBTQ people have always been, although not always well-represented in curricula and where resources, such as teacher-allies and gay-straight alliances, may not be available to some students. Read more...
Watch the music video "It Gets Better" by Rebecca Drysdale, posted here on YouTube.
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Team GSWS at Terry Fox Run/Walk 2011!
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Congratulations! Team GSWS raised $1,904 for the Terry Fox Foundation this year.That is $719 more than last year. An increase of 60%! GSWS Associate Faculty Member, Brian Burtch is once again the top fundraiser!! #1 Beedie School of Business, closely followed by... #2 Dept of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies (GSWS) #3 Dept of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
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Special thanks to all Team GSWS participants and sponsors, we came in a close second! You'd never know we are a small department! |
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GSWS Student Union at Alternative Club Days
The GSWS Student Union participated in this year's Alternative Club Days held during the week of September 19 in support of the locked out SFSS workers.
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Women raise their voices beyond the bars: Women's music in prison
Leah Abramson shares her documentary (including several pieces by women recorded inside prison) as well as her own reflections on working on music with women in prison. Read more...
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Justice for Rumana Monzur - A Must-See
Link to this video webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Canada's universities are becoming truly global, and when an unthinkable assault happens to a student from abroad, we need to ask the questions we would if she were a Canadian citizen: How could this happen? Why? What can be done to make sure it never happens to anyone else? This timely discussion took place at St. John's College Lecture Hall. Panelist of this special panel, "Justice for Rumana Monzur -- A Debate about violence against women from a legal and global perspective" include:
Louisa Russell (Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter)
Dr. Susan Boyd (Professor of Law, Chair in Feminist Legal Studies at UBC)
Dr. Janine Benedet (Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law at UBC)
Dr. Tyseer Aboulnasr (Dean, Faculty of Applied Science, Professor, Electrical Engineering, UBC)
Moderator: Dr. Patricia Vertinsky (Professor, School of Human Kinetics, UBC)
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"Selections from Historians without Borders"
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Presidential Address by Mary Lynn Stewart to the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Historical
Association-Société historique du Canada, June 2011 Print or Save pdf version (131 KB) |
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Slutwalk Vancouver
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“No means NO, and Yes means YES,” could be heard for blocks in the heart of Downtown Vancouver on Sunday May 15th. The walk which began at the Vancouver Art Gallery made its way through the downtown core was the culmination of six weeks of dedicated hard work and planning from the Slutwalk Vancouver organizing committee. Our common goal was to spark conversation about the impact of victim blaming and rape culture, and highlight how it affects both women and men within Vancouver and beyond. The walk, which was the most visible part of the campaign, stopped, at various points along the way to hear the inspired and poignant words of women and men, who shared stories that as Lucia Lorenzi said in her profound spoken word piece, were in many ways all of our stories. |
Slutwalk Vancouver is just one walk in an outstanding grassroots
uprising that began in January after the victim-blaming comments of a Toronto Police Officer were made to a group of York undergrad students. Since then, walks have sprung up across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and South America. Over the next three months there are countless walks planned all over the world! While each walk has its own organizing team, the walks are all linked through the Toronto committee and through the belief that rape culture affects and demeans EVERYONE in our society. It is these beliefs that drew me to Slutwalk; as a feminist, a student, an activist, a woman and a mother. Thus, when I received the email looking for people who might be interested in organizing a Slutwalk in Vancouver, I needed to be a part of it. I knew that I had made the right choice as committee meetings progressed and it became clear that the people on the committee were there because they believed in starting conversations and helping to change the 'common sense' sexism that is deeply embedded in victim-blaming and sexual assault. What amazed me the most over the course of the last six weeks was the way that people connected to these beliefs. One of the ways it became clear to us that this movement was more than a walk, was through the many stories and messages we received from women and men telling us stories of their assaults. As such, we launched a campaign that encouraged participants to send us their stories that they wanted to share publicly, to post as part of our stories campaign.
Slutwalk has grown in ways that the founding group in Toronto probably never imagined. It has taken on a life of its own in some regards, spreading to cities and communities around the globe, into classrooms, and homes, the walks have been attended by an incredible cross-section of people, sparking conversation and allowing us all a chance to rethink how we interact with each other.
What more could we have asked for.~~Kat Davidson
For more information on Slutwalk visit:
http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/ or http://www.slutwalkvancouver.com
The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Department at SFU is a sponsor of Slutwalk Vancouver.
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Marion Dewar Prize
The National Capital Committee on the Scholarship, Preservation and Dissemination of Women’s History is delighted to announce that Lara Campbell, Associate Professor of GSWS at SFU is the 2011 recipient of our Marion Dewar Prize, presented annually to an outstanding scholar based on their record of research, teaching and administrative work.
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Canadian Women's Studies Association Book Prize - Honourable Mention
Dr. Campbell received Honourable Mention for the CWSA book prize (for Respectable Citizens).
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GSWS Associate Faculty Members Speak Out on LGBT Policies in Local Highschools
Coquitlam Now quoted Brian Burtch and Ann Travers in a story about the coming June 14 vote of the Burnaby School District office on a policy that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals in an environment free from harassment and exclusion.
"‘These initiatives are welcoming when you get community agencies being part of this mix,’ said Burtch, an associate member of SFU's department of gender, sexuality and women's studies, adding school-based endeavours, like Centennial's Diversity Project, also make an impact.
"‘It provides people of different sexual orientations with a sense that they belong, that they're actually part of the school and that they're not unwelcome or marginalized in the school from day to day,’ Burtch said.”
"I think it must be terrifying and concerning to see the mass of parents trying to stop the policy because they believe homosexuality is a sin. It must be really terrifying," said Travers, who spoke as a delegation before the Burnaby school board.
"But to see their peers, other high school students, demonstrating in support of that policy -- I'm convinced that just the presence of those high school students who are visible allies or visibly queer has saved a couple kids they don't even know."
Read more: http://www.thenownews.com/news/Cities+take+gender+issues/4924486/story.html#ixzz1PBCHGR8n
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In Defence of Burnaby School Board's Anti-Bullying Policy to Protect LGBTQ Highschool Students
The Burnaby School Board is drafting Policy 5.45 to protect LGBTQ students from harrassment and bullying in the high schools. It seems these students are singled out by fanatical religious groups and judged/persecuted based on their sexual preference (or even curiosity). The local Burnaby newspapers have been covering the debate at school board meetings.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/burnabynewsleader/news/120880334.html#
Esther Harrison's letter to the editor in defence of Policy 5.45 was published on May 19, 2011 in the Burnaby NewsLeader at http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/burnabynewsleader/opinion/letters/122237959.html
And, retired teacher/Vancouver School Board Administrator, Ben Seebaran wrote an article called New Policy has Weaknesses. Here is Esther Harrison's response "Yes, Policy 5.45 is necessary" published on June 8, 2011, in the Burnaby NOW.
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Sad Passing of Andrea Lebowitz
The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies department is very saddened to hear of Andrea Lebowitz’s death. She was one of the founding members of Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University and championed Women’s Studies throughout her career at Simon Fraser University. The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies department would like to record its deep gratitude to Andrea and our sincere hope that Wayne and her family and friends know how important she has been to us.
Vancouver Sun Obituary
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Opinion: Best place on Earth? Not if you're a working woman
Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Special for International Women's Day, published Vancouver Sun, March 8, 2011
B.C.'s official slogan, "The Best Place on Earth," might be true for some, but it is decidedly untrue for women in the labour force. Despite being a province with a stronger-than-average growth rate and more millionaires per population than any other province, these economic strengths do not trickle down to women. Read more...
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Mary Shearman interview in Burnaby Now
Sex ruling: Women split on its impact
Burnaby woman says judgment will help keep sex workers safer - but critic says it will put more women, particularly aboriginals,
at risk, by Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now, October 2, 2010.
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Congratulations to Brian Burtch and Rebecca Haskell on book deal
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Brian and Rebecca have published a book entitled, Get That Freak: Homophobia and Transphobia in High Schools, Fernwood Publishing (2010) and they have been receiving much publicity: October 14, 2010 News Release October 15, 2010 Watch Rebecca Haskell on CTV Vancouver’s Breakfast Television (2 min 32 sec) October 15, 2010 Rebecca Haskell on the Christy Clark Show, CKNW AM Show (17 min) |
March 30, 2011 7:00 p.m. Book launch and discussion at Ardea Books and Art, 2025 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. Everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be served 604-734-2025 for info. Download printable poster here (pdf format 831 KB).
Rebecca and Brian have agreed to do some guest blogging for Fernwood. So keep your eyes peeled for that. Tell your family, friends and co-workers! It will take all of us to see hatred in our society and schools erased.
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Doctoral Degree and Book Offer
Our heartiest congratulations go to Xinying Hu! First, upon completion of her doctoral degree, and second, Routledge, the world publisher in the area of social science has accepted Xinying’s book proposal. Her suggested book title is China's New Underclass: Paid Domestic Labour, slightly shorter than her thesis title, Paid Domestic Labour as Precarious Work in China.
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| Xinying with her family and Senior Supervisor Dr. Marjorie Griffin Cohen | ||
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Lara Campbell - Sir John A. Macdonald Prize Honourable Mention
The Canadian Historical Association, Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, for the best non-fiction work of Canadian history judged to have made the most significant contribution to an understanding of the Canadian past.
Lara Campbell, Honourable Mention, Respectable Citizens: Gender, Family, and Unemployment in Ontario's Great Depression.
As a carefully constructed and solidly documented work, Respectable Citizens focuses not only on the economic difficulties experienced by Ontario families during the Great Depression and the survival strategies and social protests engendered by these difficulties but also on how the redefinition of citizenship and the development of the liberal State were affected. This book, located at the crossroads of several historiographies, proposes an original interpretation of this dark period of Canadian history by stressing the interrelations between the public and private domains. It shows that domestic arrangements and the demands placed on the State on an individual or more organized basis grew out of a broadly accepted conception of gender relations founded on the breadwinner/housewife ideal and on a vision of individual rights related to membership in the Anglo-Celtic culture.
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With diverse sources eloquently supporting its argumentation, Respectable Citizens posits, first, that in the name of their family duties defined in terms of gender, of their respectability as citizens of British descent, and of their belief in the work ethic, Ontarians demanded increased services and economic support measures from the State, and, second, that these considerations were incorporated into the implementation of social policies, starting with the Second World War. Based on the rich and nuanced analysis proposed by Lara Campbell, the 1930s appear to represent a transitional period leading to the establishment of the Canadian welfare state, with the Canadian public itself contributing to this process. These conclusions appear all the more relevant because the study is not limited to urban realities but also examines the conditions present in rural and remote areas. This work, which builds on a wide variety of sources and a series of concepts developed through feminist research and the new political history, constitutes a major addition to our knowledge of the 1930s and will certainly become a standard reference in understanding this decade and the one that followed. Congratulations Lara! |
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Dana Claxton, RWW Chair attends the 2010 Biennale of Sydney
She speaks at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday, May 20, 2010.
Click here for pdf poster.
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The Women are Coming Documentary by Karin Wells
CBC's The Sunday Edition is featuring the documentary film about the Abortion Caravan, The Women are Coming by Carin Wells. The Vancouver Women's Caucus (VWC) travelled to Ottawa in an Abortion Caravan to protest Bill C-150 and promote chid care, equal pay for equal work, contraception and abortion access. The VWC originated at SFU!
Click here to go to the CBC website to learn more about this documentary film.
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Natasha Patterson: Struggle for Women's Equality Continues Around the World
Congratulations to PhD Candidate Natasha Patterson who is currenlty featured in The Georgia Straight on-line. Click here to read her commentary on what International Women's Day means to her.
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Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies In the News
Recently the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Department has been featured in SFU News please click on the links to the following articles.
Georgia Straight
- The original article titled, " Lara Campbell: The continuing importance of women’s history"
- With the writing of women’s history entering its fourth decade, it is more important than ever to recognize the value of this history.
- The original article titled, " Mary Lynn Stewart: Why women's studies, still?" is online at:
- The article is written by our very own department chair, Dr. Mary Lynn Stewart as part of a series of International Women's Day-related commentaries on-line in the lead-up to March 8th.
SFU News
- Women's studies celebrates 30 years
- Stewart focuses on women reporters
- Herstory Café Celebrates Women’s History - Dr. Lara Campbell, co-creator of the Herstory Café is featured in the October 8th edition of the SFU News.
Research Matters:
- Dana Claxton in SFU Research Matters Click here to read the article.
Xtra West
Dr. Helen Hok-Sze Leung featured in Xtra West
- The original article titled, " Homo undercurrents in Hong Kong culture" is online at: http://www.xtra.ca/public/Vancouver/Homo_undercurrents_in_Hong_Kong_culuture-6739.aspx
- In this article, Dr. Helen Hok-Sze Leung discusses "queer undercurrents" in Hong Kong's film, new media and cultural traditions.
- Dr. Leung is the author of Undercurrents: Queer Culture and Postcolonial Hong Kong, UBC Press
- Click here to read more about Dr. Leung's book.
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2009 Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence
Dr. Helen Hok-Sze Leung is one of three faculty members who have received the 2009 Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence.
Congratulations Helen!!!
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Catherine Murray, Chair's Interview by CJSF Radio
Part I - 30 Minutes
Part II - 30 Minutes
Or if you have an older browser , click here
Visit CJSF Radio
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Library Diversity Working Group's display about International Women's Day, with the theme:
Preventing Violence Against Women.
Display case is on the 3rd floor entrance level of the WAC Bennett Library, by the lounge on the right, just as you enter the building.
Click here to see a listing of the books on display.
Photos of the display: photo 1 - photo 2 - photo 3
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Stamp honours Woodward Chair
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SFU News OnlineFebruary 18, 2009Rosemary Brown, Canada’s first black female MLA—and SFU’s second Ruth Wynn Woodward endowed chair in women’s studies (1987-88)—is one of two distinguished Afro-Canadians recognized this month with postage stamps to celebrate Black History Month. |
Brown (1930-2003) served as an NDP member of the B.C. legislature from 1972-86. In 1975, she became the first black woman (and second woman after Mary Walker-Sawka) to run for the leadership of a Canadian federal party, finishing a close second to Ed Broadbent at the NDP’s leadership convention. She was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1995 and an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996.
Brown kept a busy pace during her tenure as the Woodward endowed chair, says women’s studies chair Mary Lynn Stewart, who spoke about her at a stamp-unveiling fundraiser Feb. 1 hosted by the National Congress of Black Women Foundation.
“She gave several keynote addresses to national and regional conferences, spoke at the UN Conference on Homelessness, prepared two TV programs for the Knowledge network on women and politics, and gave more than 40 community talks,” says Stewart.
“These talks covered a gamut of subjects including free trade, the Meech Lake Accord, lobbying, women and human services, advocacy for senior’s housing and racism in relation to sexism and feminism.
“Her interests in life being wide ranging, she was also involved with a CBC program Music in Your Life and gave a talk to the Victoria Status of Women on the ‘Joys of Being an Older Woman’.”
http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/news/story_02130901.shtml
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Newsletters
Check out our past newsletters featuring a review of previous years' events and stories.
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Research Projects
- The Department of Women's Studies has recently added a section to showcase the research currently being undertaken by faculty members and graduate students. More info...
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Chairs Message
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Ruth Wynn Woodward Endowed Chair
Click here for more information about the Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair
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RWW Chair Conferences and Workshops
Knowledge Production and the Black Experience in Canada
Afua Cooper was Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair from September 2008 to August 2010.
May 1-3, 2009 at Segal School of Business, Vancouver
TransSomatechnics: Theories and Practices of Transgender Embodiment
Susan Stryker began her year appointment as the Ruth Wynn Woodward Professor in September 2007.
- Conference Program May 1-3, 2008 at SFU Harbour Centre Campus
- Final RWWP Report (2007-2008)
- Poster
Tradeswomen: A Winning Ticket!
Hosted by the SFU Women's Studies Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair, the goal of this conference is to bring together tradeswomen in order to encourage networking and retention of this small but valuable part of the skilled labour force.
- Date: April 20-21, 2007
- Where: SFU Graduate Segal School of Business and SFU Vancouver Campus
- Final RWWP Report (2006-2007) which includes poster
Gender, Race, Islam and "The War on Terror" Symposium
- May 11-13, 2006 (SFU Vancouver)
- A community dialogue on Muslims in Canada and the world for promotion of peace, democracy, human rights for all people.
- Poster
Women's Studies 30th Anniversary Conference
'Transformations': The Politics of Women's Studies
- On February 10th the Women's Studies Department celebrated its 30th Anniversary. The day consisted of a daytime conference as well as the Maggie Benston Lecture in the evening featuring Leslie Feinberg.
- Poster
Imagining Public Policy to Meet Women's Economic Security Needs
- The Economic Security Project sponsered a successful conference entitled "Imagining Public Policy to Meet Women's Economic Security Needs" on October 13-15, 2005 held at Harbour Centre, SFU's downtown campus - Vancouver, British Columbia.
Working Inside and Outside Government: Women's Strategies for Change
- The Department of Women’s Studies and the department's Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair hosted a very successful symposium to bring together women’s activists, academics and gender policy practitioners to discuss the potential of using state women’s policy agencies to advance women’s equality. The Conference was held on 18 March 2005 at SFU's Harbour Centre campus.
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Retirements
- Marilyn MacDonald retired in 2009. She plans to move ... and travel.
- Christine Goodman retired after nearly 10 years with SFU Women's Studies
- Honoree Newcombe retired after a 40 year career with SFU
- Meredith Kimball has retired from SFU after being here since 1976
- Billie Korstrom's retirement
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Past News items
"Local Artist: Moninder Bubber's Creative Expression" in MEHFIL Magazine
Ruth Wynn Woodward Endowed Chair
Please contact webmaster to report errors or omissions to page last updated on November 28, 2011