Have You Visited the Women’s Centre? 

By Spencer Thorne

Trigger Warning: Mentions of forced sex.

The University Women’s Centre, located in Room 222 of the Student Union Building, provides a welcoming space where all students can feel safe and be their authentic selves.

Established in the late 1980s, the Women’s Centre provides a wide range of resources. This includes personal hygiene and sexual health supplies such as condoms and dental dams, along with informational guides on their use. In addition, the Centre offers mental health support resources, a collection of books and other supplies for women and so much more. 

The best part is that it is offered to EVERYONE! 

According to documents found in the University of New Brunswick’s archives, the UNB Student Action Committee on the Status of Women (SACSOW) initiated the proposal for the creation of the Women’s Centre due to the rising number of women reporting forced sex at the time. 

When this proposal was submitted on March 17, 1993, 1 in 10 students reported experiencing unwanted sexual advances. The mandate of SACSOW was to make campus a safer place for women, as they mentioned in the proposal. 

When SACSOW released the proposal, they said that the centre’s mandate would be, 

“To coordinate both on and off campus support, services and resources to students who are victims of sexual assault during their academic year”. 

Additionally, the Women’s Studies Program stated the centre would provide resources and conduct ongoing research for students at both UNB and St. Thomas University.

The UNB Sexual Climate Survey was sent out in 2015, “to gain some understanding of both attitudes towards and experiences of sexual assault among students at the University of New Brunswick, capturing in particular the “climate” of the university campus. This refers to views regarding the extent to which the University is a sociocultural context that condones or condemns sexual assault.”.

Among the respondents, 34% reported that they had experienced non-consensual sexual activity before coming to UNB. 21% reported experiencing sexual assault since becoming a student at UNB. 22% reported experiencing some form of sexual coercion — verbal pressure or aggression to engage in sex — while attending UNB. 46% reported experiencing long-lasting effects when describing the impact of the incident on their lives. 

In my eyes, there has been very little improvement since the proposal was first sent out in 1993. But, see for yourself in the UNB Sexual Assault Policy. 

Even after leaving the University, alumni continue to show ongoing support for the University Women’s Centre.

Vicky Simpson, a former graduate student who sat on the Centre’s board had lots to say about this influential institution. 

“It’s a centralised support system, a collective voice that can advocate for important changes on campus to improve the lives of not just women but people of all genders,” Simpson said. “This is a safe space, a space where you can be who you are, and you can be any gender, values that are still displayed today.”.

When asked what the Centre means to her, the past Chair Anajosé Guevara mentioned,

“I see the Women’s Centre as a space where we can guarantee an environment full of respect  and understanding for all students. Marginalised groups of people may not find that they are safe wherever they go, but the UWC strives to be a place on campus that can provide a sense of security without judgement. Isn’t it lovely to have a cosy place where anyone can find important  resources on menstrual and sexual health etc., but also just sit down and feel at peace?”.

Simpson went on how this space is crucial, saying, 

“There is always more work to be done, as evident by recent gender-based violence on other campuses. One key thing that remains on our campus is our outdated gendered washrooms. My 9-year-old was on campus with me the other day and wisely asked, ‘why do the washrooms have pictures of men and women on them? Where do people who identify as “they” go to use the washroom?” 

It is a significant moment to see the next generation coming up asking the key questions that adults — and our institution — should be asking. Whether you are a first-year student, finishing your studies, traveling from another province or country, or simply looking for a space to be your authentic self, the Women’s Centre is here for you. Come check it out, bring your studies, friends and more.