March 5, 2015

March 5, 2015
For Immediate Release

BRANTFORD – In recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8, Wilfrid Laurier University faculty, staff and students will offer a week of activities including a workshop, an information fair and a film screening from March 9 to 13.

The week of events on Laurier’s Brantford campus is being led by Laurier’s Collective for Feminist Action and Research (CFAR) and Women’s Safety Action Group (WSAG). Vanessa Oliver, Laurier Brantford’s women’s faculty colleague and assistant professor of Youth and Children’s Studies, is sponsoring the week.

"I am very proud of the time and effort that CFAR and WSAG have contributed to organizing International Women's Week," said Oliver. "We have worked together to create a number of events – ranging from workshops, to lectures, to artistic performances – which will provide students and community with many avenues to celebrate International Women's Day, and to take action in solidarity with women locally and around the world."

Events on Laurier’s Brantford campus:

• Monday, March 9, 1 p.m.: Forum on gender-based violence on campus organized by the Women’s Safety Action Group. Room OD 107, Odeon Building, 50 Market St.
• Tuesday, March 10, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: “Solidarity: Who do we stand with? What do we stand for?” information fair featuring the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant. Lobby, Research and Academic Centre, 150 Dalhousie St.
• Wednesday, March 11, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Film screening featuring short films My Father, Francis, by Casey Mecija and Holy Mother My Mother by Vivek Shraya. Mecija, originally from Brantford, is a member of the indie pop band Ohbijou and will perform along with Shraya. Sponsored by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and the Office of the Dean of Students. Room RCW 203, Research and Academic Centre, 150 Dalhousie St.
• Thursday, March 12, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: “Women’s Spaces: A Workshop.” Creating women’s spaces on campuses by social justice activist Julie S. Lalonde. Room CB 100, Carnegie Building, 73 George St. To register: contact Rebecca Godderis rgodderis@wlu.ca.
• Friday, March 13, 1 p.m.: “Talking to Young People about Sexting, Technology and Gendered Violence.” Public lecture by social justice activist Julie S. Lalonde. Lalonde was awarded the 2013 Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of Persons Case for her outstanding work to improve the lives of women and girls by advocating for an end to sexual assault and harassment in Canada. Room DAL 007, 97 Dalhousie St.

All Laurier Brantford events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact voliver@wlu.ca.

Events on Laurier’s Waterloo campus:

Sunday, March 8, 2:30 p.m.: Film Screening of the award-winning documentary Particle Fever about the hunt for the elementary particle the Higgs boson – the biggest experiment ever built. Hosted by the Laurier Centre for Women in Science (WINS), the event will feature a panel of scientists and experts after the screening to discuss science, gender and film. Free and open to the public. Register at eventbrite.com. 

WINS also hosts the mystemstory.wlu.ca website, which shares stories from women around the world about what it is like to be a woman in physics today.

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