Brandon University’s Women’s Collective is a group of exceptional women motivated to improving life on campus for everyone. The Women’s Collective president, for the second consecutive year, is Jenna English, a passionate intersectional feminist dedicated to representing self-identifying women’s rights on campus. Vice president this year is Jenna Murray, a feminist focused on bringing together like minded people and promoting awareness of social issues.
Every year, the Women’s Collective offers a resource library, free condoms, sanitary supplies, discounted pregnancy tests and diva cups, sexual health resources, as well as access to phone and internet services. The Women’s Collective is also involved with the “No Means No” campaign for the promotion of positive sexual relationships. (Let’s make one thing clear: Consensual sex, is just sex. The idea that there is any other type of sex is ludicrous. Non-consensual sex? The word you’re looking for is rape. Respect all people’s choices and their dignity.)
Some of this year’s goals include; promoting awareness of sexual health through a day dedicated to reproductive health, as well as events that foster social relations including paint night and trivia night. The annual event “Take Back The Night” – a march to end violence against women with the intention of feeling safe at night – will not run this fall semester, but will hopefully take place in the spring.
If there are any causes or events that you are passionate about and would like to see the Women’s Collective take on, please consider joining to make them happen. More members make planning and implementing events easier and more enjoyable. Membership in the Women’s Collective is open to the entire BU community, including men. Although male members do not have voting rights (sucks doesn’t it) their input is valued and appreciated.
You can connect with the Women’s Collective on Facebook (Brandon University Women’s Collective) and Instagram (buwomenscollective). The Women’s Collective office is located on the 2nd floor of the Knowles-Douglas Building. Office hours will be announced soon. The next collective meeting is Wednesday October 3rd at 5pm in the KDC boardroom – all are welcome.
And finally, to answer the burning question that may be distracting you from taking any substance from this article; yes, we’re all feminists here. To quote Beyoncé quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “feminist: a person who believes in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes”.