The University of Connecticut has over 700 student organizations, including six cultural centers. One of those cultural centers is the Women’s Center, a space where students can receive support while striving to achieve gender equity on campus.
According to the center’s website, the Women’s Center was established in 1972. The origins of the center can be traced back to the late 1960s, when a group of faculty, community members and students began to host community efforts to spread awareness about discrimination against women on the UConn campus. These efforts led to the establishment of the Free Women’s Collective in 1972, which led to the founding of the Women’s Center that same year.
Today, the Women’s Center has a sole purpose, which is to create a community where gender diversity and the strengths of women can be honored and celebrated. The Women’s Center strives to fulfill this mission by providing support services for students who have experienced sexual assault on campus. The center also hosts educational programs that target gender stereotypes and current issues that revolve around women and people of diverse gender identities. Besides programs, the center offers a free space where students can come in and study, chat, watch TV and more.
“I think the Women’s Center is very important because people need a place of belonging, so I think creating that space for the UConn student population is good for that,” said Nuratu Quarshie, an interim director of the Violence Against Women Prevention Program. “And we have so many student programs that operate under the Women’s Center, so if they need specific needs addressed, they can reach out, and we can talk about that.”
One of the center’s programs is the Violence Against Women Prevention Program. According to the website, people in this program are passionate about addressing sexual violence by hosting workshops that focus on advocacy of the topic.
Besides the prevention program, the Women’s Center has Greeks Against Sexual Assault. The purpose of this group is to train members of fraternities and sororities on how to address and challenge gender-based violence. Members of the sub-organization attend weekly meetings that explore gender-related violence and how it can be prevented in Greek life.
These aren’t the only programs at the Women’s Center, however.
“We have Women in STEM, which is like a mentor-mentee program for women pursuing STEM degrees,” Quarshie said. “We have Between Women, which is a sub-organization for queer folks. They can come in and have discussions like sharing experiences that people have had. We have In-Power, which is a survivor group that meets on Tuesday evenings. This is an important sub-organization because it provides a space for survivors of sexual violence on campus. We also have the Men’s Project. Anybody can join it, but the main goal is to address gender-based issues from a man’s perspective.”
Quarshie also elaborated on the significance of having so many sub-organizations in the Women’s Center.
“I think that in general, we wish we could have so many organizations, but the ones we have here do a good job highlighting the diversity of the Women’s Center,” Quarshie said.
According to the website, everyone is welcome at the Women’s Center, including men. The majority of the center’s programs such as the Men’s Project are dedicated to people of diverse gender identities and not just women. The website also states that if the center wants to achieve gender equity, it needs support from everyone.
“So many people can learn so many things from different groups, which is why the Women’s Center is open to everyone,” Quarshie said.
To promote gender equity and diversity, the Women’s Center planned a variety of events that focus on those subjects. On March 29, the Women’s Center will host the Sexual Assault Awareness Month 5K Walk, Run & Jog to spread awareness of sexual assault. On March 23 and March 25, the Women’s Center will have the Women & Substances Trivia Wheel at two different dining halls: McMahon and Connecticut Hall. The Women’s Center will also host Unbreakable: Rising from Within, a women’s trauma group, on March 13.
In addition to hosting general events, the Women’s Center is doing events that honor Women’s History Month. On Wednesday, the center hosted an International Women’s Day celebration that featured creative and social activities that honored women and their accomplishments. According to Quarshie, doing Women’s History Month events is very crucial.
“I think it’s so important to highlight the accomplishments of women in diverse programs,” Quarshie said. “We have a lot of programs that we’re doing this month. Matika Wilbur is coming on the 25th of March. She’s our guest speaker for Women’s History Month. Besides Wilbur, we have a range of events that highlight and appreciate our women as well as honor how far women have come in general.”
Every year, students have the opportunity to become a part of the Women’s Center’s staff. Students are able to apply for positions in the center’s student staff and volunteer sections. Students also have the opportunity to become a part of one or more of the center’s sub-organizations. Naya Peterson, an eighth-semester psychology student, says working in the center is an astonishing experience.
“I really love working at the Women’s Center,” Peterson said. “Before joining my junior year, I feel like I struggled to find a community. When I came here, everyone was super welcoming and inviting. And there’s such a diversity of people here, so I feel like there’s a space for everyone.”
For those interested in learning more about the Women’s Center, its sub-organizations or its events, check out its website and Instagram page, @uconnwomenscenter.