The International Women’s Day Dinner and Stories of Solidarity Event is open to members of our campus community, including staff, students and faculty members who identify as women* or non-binary. (*women includes trans women; all women are women).

 

The purpose of this event is to provide an affirming space to eat, laugh and share stories of our gendered experiences of safety and/or harm on campus.

 

This event was inspired by the countless stories we hear of women and non-binary folx feeling unsafe on campus, the experiences of harm that we hear about, and the all too often silence that surrounds these stories.

 

This will be a safer, braver space for people to come together in solidary and anonymously add their stories of peace and harm to the "Stories of Solidarity" collective action writing exercise.

 

There will be space to add your voice to the following prompts: “I felt safe on campus when...” and “I felt unsafe on campus when...” Hoping to gather stories where people did not feel safe, or were in danger, and simultaneously including stories of when people did feel safe on campus, and what that looks like.

 

We know from research and feedback from our own community that there are numerous barriers faced by women and gender diverse people in accessing full participation on campus, in spaces that are free from harassment, discrimination, intimidation and violence.

 

We know that many women, both cisgender and transgender, sometimes feel uncomfortable in the traditionally male-dominated space of academia. Given the numbers, it is no surprise that women’s voices are often left out of decision-making, and our concerns and struggles are swept aside. Looking at the numbers, 65% of Acadia Academic leaders are male identified, and only 35% identify as women. When looking at leadership at Acadia as a whole (including Academic), 60% are male identified leaders at Acadia, and 41% women identified leaders.

 

If you are not part of these identity groups, women* or non-binary (*women includes trans women; all women are women), we kindly ask that you respect The International Women’s Day Dinner and Stories of Solidarity Event and stay tuned for a Masculinity Dinner and Discussion in the coming weeks.