Please see detailed information, including photos and event posters, for recent and upcoming WAGE Committee activities here:

WAGE Committee Updates 2025 March 19

Submitted by Melissa Stephens, WAGE Committee Chair

Recent Events:     

International Women’s Day: “𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦” 

VIUFA’s Women’s and Gender Equity Committee hosted an International Women’s Day event on March 7. The room was “standing room only”, as it filled with faculty, students, staff, community leaders and organizers, politicians, citizens. We gathered to address attacks on 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 initiatives and programs in the United States, Canada, and beyond, and to consider its fascist features. Thank you to 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 welcomed us to the land and event and provided prayer.

Faculty panelists Professors 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 (Studies in Women and Gender), 𝐈𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐦 (Anthropology and Global Studies, Emeritus), 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤 (Social Studies), and 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 (Nursing) addressed three key questions:

  • 𝐡𝐨𝐰 does 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐦?
  • What are the 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐄𝐈𝐀?
  • What 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 can 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐄𝐈𝐀-𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Panelists spoke from expertise and lived experience. Professor 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐋’𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐞 (Creative Writing and Journalism and English) provided memorable music. This gathering was more meaningful with representation from Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, Literacy Central Vancouver Island, VIU Harm Reduction Alliance, Thrive – VIU Health and Wellness, VIU Positive Space Alliance, and VIU Muslim Women’s Club. Bannock was prepared by 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. We shared wildflower seeds from 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 to encourage everyone to seed their own revolutionary love, and to encourage pollinators as we move into the Spring. We purchased carnations from 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲𝐛𝐮𝐠 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥, a Nanaimo florist owned by women and run by family.

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

For images of the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/VIUStatusOfWomen/

Upcoming Events:

  • Monday, March 31: Transgender Day of Visibility – Royal Arbutus Room (Nanaimo Campus), 12 pm-1:30 pm

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 is hosting an event for 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. Virtual attendance will be possible. The event will feature Canadian writer and performer 𝐈𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐲𝐨𝐭𝐞, who will be joining the event virtually. Members of the VIU community can register in advance by emailing 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞@𝐯𝐢𝐮.𝐜𝐚 to take part in a creative open mic portion of the event.

  • Thursday, March 28: Sign-making for Take Back the Night – Building 355 Room 211 (VIU Nanaimo), 11 am-1pm   

VIUFA’s Women’s and Gender Equity Committee and VIU Thrive, Health & Wellness are teaming up to host a sign-making session in anticipation of Haven Society’s march to recognize Take Back the Night, a longstanding international movement calling for an end to sexualized and domestic violence. Organizers will supply markers, poster boards, some resources, beverages, and candies. Stay tuned for the poster.

  • Wednesday, April 2: Take Back the Night March – Meet at Beban Park to march, 5 pm-7pm

Haven Society is hosting a march in support of Take Back the Night, a longstanding movement to end sexualized and domestic violence. This march will begin at Beban Park and finish at Haven Society Community Services building. The event will include guest speaker Tracy Myers.  For more information, visit: havensociety.com/TBTN