Who: University of New Brunswick Students Against Rape + Intimidation (UNBSRI)What: We want UNB administration to commit to establishing a Women's Centre with a full-time staff person (to be running by the Fall 2002 academic term).
When: Immediately
Why: UNB has NO women's centre (nor a safe queer space) and the annual budget for our growing Women's Studies Department is barely $900. UNB needs the advocacy, visibility, and support that a Women's Centre would provide.
UNBSRI members, a student union representative and other members of the university and off-campus community met with senior administration (including UNB President, Elizabeth Parr-Johnston) and senior UNB public relations officials to discuss moving forward on campus safety concerns.
A promising working framework draft has been developed as a result of these discussions. UNBSRI members look forward to participating in its implementation. A Women's Centre is proposed in this draft. However, several proposals for a campus Women's Centre have been included in past frameworks dating back to 1979 and have NEVER been acted upon. The university community is united in the belief that we need a Women's Centre NOW. Other Canadian universities have enjoyed such centres for decades. Consider, for example:
University of Regina 1969
Simon Fraser University 1974
York University 1975
University of Winnipeg 1980
University of Victoria 1981
Memorial University of Newfoundland + Labrador 1981
University of Toronto 1984
University of Prince Edward Island 1993
University of New Brunswick ????
Feb 14th is V-Day, the international day to celebrate women and demand an end to violence against women and girls. UNBSRI will be issuing a nation-wide Press Release on this day to highlight this embarressing and distressing void on our campus.
We are looking for your support in our efforts to encourage administration to pull UNB into the twentieth (!) century. We believe that the UNB administration should publicly declare that it will
institute a Women's Centre with a full-time staff person to be running by the start of the Fall 2002 academic term. This is an immediate need of our campus community - one that has echoed on campus for generations.
Students, staff, and faculty are hopeful that the UNB administration will respond reasonably to this modest request. We need a Women's Centre and we need it now.
Please express your support and solidarity by emailing UNB President Elizabeth Parr-Johnston immediately with your perspective. [email protected]
Copy your message to us, if you like. [email protected]
Thank you for taking the time to consider our struggle.
In solidarity,
UNBSRI
UNB STUDENTS AGAINST RAPE & INTIMIDATION
In the world today, women perform 2/3 of the work hours yet receive only 5% of the wages and own less than 1% of the property. Of the 1.3 billion people living on less than a dollar a day, 70% are women.
[ February 14, 2002: Message edited by: UNBSRI ]