The Transgender Health Information Program are hosting a Health Fair on December 5. Come and meet Transgender Health Information Program staff, Community Agencies and Service Providers involved in transgender and gender diverse health. Continue reading
On December 6, 1989, an armed man walked into an Engineering class at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. After he forced the men to leave, he said he hated feminists and started shooting the women in the class. Then he moved on and began shooting women throughout the school. At the end of his rampage, he had killed 14 women and himself.
This man believed that women were responsible for his failure to gain entrance to the school. He believed that feminists ruined his chances because of affirmative action in universities.
Every year at UBC we hold a memorial for the 14 women who lost their lives, as well as the countless women who have been victims of gender-based violence. Show your support.
Held at the Wayne and William Wright Engineering Design Centre, November 28, 12:30 – 2:00pm.
Photo credit: Cicely Blain
Rojin and Interests
Rojin Kaviani is a fourth year General Science student at UBC. She also works as a JumpStart Student Coordinator and a Wellness Peer. Rojin is really passionate about learning from every experience and being challenged. She finds it so important to continuously question and challenge yourself and others: to learn, unlearn, and relearn. She really enjoys positions and careers that get you thinking on the spot and looking at problems with a new perspective.
Rojin and International Women’s Day
Rojin is inspired by her mother because she was able to balance being a full-time single mother while following her career dreams. She paved her own path and opened her own practice as a professional. Many people and many obstacles stood in her way but she powered through. “Her determination gives me strength,” says Rojin.
Rojin and Passions
Rojin is really passionate about access to education and basic rights for women. Her heritage traces to Iran, where women aren’t respected or considered, by law, to be equal to men; their opportunities are restricted and limited by the government. This realization prompted Rojin to start learning and becoming passionate about gender equality.
UBC’s Access and Diversity is looking to provide extra support to our single parent students who are struggling financially this holiday season. If you celebrate a seasonal event and are interested in receiving a gift of financial support, please let us know by Wednesday, November 20th 2013.
Depending on demand, a lottery may be run to determine who will receive a financial gift.
Contact: CJ Rowe
Email: cj.rowe@ubc.ca
Tel: 604 822 2415
All information shared will be kept confidential by Access and Diversity’s staff.
November 20 is a day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia (the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming people). The day aims to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
UBC Pride and The AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre are co-hosting the Trans* Day of Remembrance event at UBC.
12:00-4:00 – Candlelight vigil, resources, and community mural painting – SUB Main Concourse by The AMS Art Gallery
4:00-5:00 – Allyship discussion/workshop in SUB Partyroom. Please feel welcome to show up at The Partyroom at 4pm.
5:00-8:00 – Join SASC & Pride UBC for discussion, dialogue, food, lighting of candles, and community building – AMS Art Gallery
Accessibility: The AMS Art Gallery at The Student Union Building (SUB) is accessible by wheelchair and is a short distance from the bus loop.
Food: Food options will include Trans* Flag cupcakes (gluten free/vegan), and additional vegan/gluten free choices.
Contact: sasc@ams.ubc.ca or prideubc@gmail.com
Photo credit: Cicely Blain
Amarachi and Involvement
Amarachi Chukwu is a third year Arts student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Law and Society. She also loves Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice. At UBC, she is the President of the Caribbean African Association and the the Co-captain of Nu Era Dance Crew. In her spare time, Amarachi enjoys having great conversations with people, dancing, watching a lot of television shows, singing, DIY projects, eating, and spending time with close friends.
Amarachi and Passions
Amarachi is passionate about music, dance, fashion, and other art forms that allow for expression of self and beliefs. She’s passionate about her faith as a Christian as well as social justice, equality, and learning. As a feminist, Amarachi is also passionate about the narrow definitions of beauty and the homogenous construction of femininity. She believes that both ideas exclude so many women, especially women of colour. These socially constructed ideas of what it is to be ‘women’ belittle those who do not adhere to them and fail to celebrate the diversity in expressions of gender or beauty.
Amarachi and International Women’s Day
This year on International Women’s Day, Amarachi is celebrating her mother, her sister, and her girl-friends. “I am lucky to have so many strong, intelligent and beautiful women in my life who continuously help me grow,” she says. For her, female empowerment means having the agency and ability to define for ourselves and what it means to be women and not having our identities essentialised to a single narrative like ‘emotional’ or ‘nurturing’. Female empowerment means having our identities no longer co-constructed or dependent upon male identity as a polar opposite: gentle to his aggressive, frail to his strength, emotional to his rational.
The Guide to Resources and Supports for Parents has been revised. The guide contains updated information on useful resources for student parents on campus and in the Lower Mainland. You can download the new version here or from the Access & Diversity website.
If you have suggestions for the next revision of the guide, please share with us. We would also love to hear your thoughts on the Parents on Campus blog: What ideas and resources would you as a parent like to see featured on this blog? What information is missing?
Please email comments to Hedda at women.students@ubc.ca
Submission by Chris Kim, Wellness Peer and PPEC Representative
I came to UBC to become a doctor. I think I told myself I wanted to help people, but that sounds too altruistic to be me. The real reason had to do with two big influences on my life: Parents and society. They formed an unrivaled partnership of direct and indirect pressure; my teenage mind was convinced.
All the little things in university drove me nuts. Why couldn’t I do laundry? Why had I just realized how competitive med school was? Why didn’t I learn anything useful in high school? Looking back, all I did was think about myself.
I have grown a lot in the past 4 years and I’ve found something I really love to do; fortunately, it doesn’t involve med school. This development came from a mental adjustment; I started thinking more openly and with greater empathy, which accelerated my learning and propelled me to try many new things. The greatest impact it had was on my understanding of diversity. People always say diversity is important and it’s part of the Canadian way, but diversity is commonly seen as a barrier. Not just ethnic diversity, but diversity in all forms. Like personality differences in teams, ‘how do we include that quiet guy?’
Instead of seeing it as a barrier, I’m starting to see diversity as a learning opportunity. Any differences in opinion, beliefs, and experiences are chances to mutually learn. This idea of intercultural understanding can be difficult at times, but being open-minded and seeing diversity in a new light has made me a better person. In keeping with this mindset and in the spirit of UBC Thrive, I have taken on a couple new things the past month like mentorship and stress breaks. Having mentors helped me realize I learn best verbally and through conversation. The stress breaks is an idea I got from a friend, where I stop thinking about everything and enjoy nature for 15 minutes. Both have helped my well-being and both are a result of thinking interculturally.
Did you know that the Vancouver Public Library has a program that offers free access to popular Vancouver museums and attractions for you and your family for a two-week period?
It is called the Vancouver Inspiration Pass and is designed to make it possible for all Vancouver families to explore the city. With the pass, you get free access to several attractions, museums, heritage sites, and fitness facilities. Why not bring the kids to H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Science World, the Vancouver Art Gallery, or for a concert at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra? Check out the full list of available options here.
The downside of the pass is of course that it is only valid for a two-week period. But for those two weeks, you can go to as many of the listed museums and attractions as you can possibly fit into your schedule! So make sure to book a pass for a period where you are not swamped with school work. Another idea is to ally yourself with other student parents and request passes for different periods, so you can take each other’s children to events. Then the fun lasts longer!
One pass gives free access for two adults and up to four children. The pass holder must be a Vancouver resident aged 14 years or older and hold a Vancouver Public Library Card, but there are no similar restrictions on the people you bring with you.
The pass is very popular, so make sure to apply early! You can apply online or at any VPL library branch. For more information, contact the Vancouver Public Library at 604-331-3603 or info@vpl.ca.
Help create an inclusive campus by taking the Diversity Pledge. The pledge is more than just a demonstration of your respect for others, it is a personal commitment to taking action.
Read more about what it means to take the pledge, as well as other students experiences of gender, sexuality, culture and disability.