A
      Place
      for
      Womyn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Dawn
      Ambler
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      cannot
      change
      the
      world
      alone
      To
      heal
      ourselves,
     
     
      to
      restore
      the
      earth
      to
      life,
      to
      create
      situations
      in
     
     
      which
      freedom
      can
      flourish,
      we
      must
      work
      together
      in
     
     
      groups.
      -Starhawk,
      Truth
      or
      Dare.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      live
      with
      some
      basic
      truths
      in
      this
      world.
      It
      isa
     
     
      patriarchal
      society,
      womyn
      are
      oppressed,
      violence
      or
     
     
      the
      threat
      of
      violence
      supports
      and
      perpetuates
      the
     
     
      institutions
      of
      dominance
      which
      upholds
      patriarchy,
     
     
      collective
      action
      is
      necessary,
      and
      the
      cooperation
      of
     
     
      women
      creates
      an
      alternative
      world
      vision.
      We
      must
     
     
      recognize
      that
      the
      process
      and
      the
      product
      are
      linked.
     
     
      We
      must
      integrate
      a
      feminist
      process
      in
      all
      we
      do
      to
     
     
      create
      change.
      We
      must
      work
      collectively
      in
      all
      our
     
     
      actions.
      To
      do
      so
      we
      need
      to
      create
      a
      caring,
      sharing-
     
     
      based,
      balanced,
      safe
      working
      space.
      A
      place
      to
     
     
      express
      our
      truths
      and
      share
      our
      knowledge
      and
      our
     
     
      power.
      An
      environment
      which
      supports
      the
      process
      of
     
     
      questioning,
      critiquing
      and
      working
      for
      change.
      Many
     
     
      of
      our
      universities
      across
      this
      nation
      have
      a
      Womyn’s
     
     
      Centre.
      In
      many
      cases
      this
      centre
      is
      paid
      for
      through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      fees
      and
      affiliated
      with
      the
      Student
      Union.
      In
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      some
      cases
      the
      University
      also
      contributes
      monies
     
     
      and/or
      grants
      for
      the
      operation
      ofa
      centre.
      These
     
     
      centres’
      services
      range
      froma
      telephone
      to
      a
      space
     
     
      with
      24
      hour
      open
      lounge,
      office,
      meeting
      room
      and
     
     
      library.
      Some
      provide
      a
      hot
      cup
      of
      tea
      or
      coffee
      ora
     
     
      place
      to
      eat
      lunch
      in
      their
      drop-in
      centre
      as
      a
      respite
     
     
      from
      the
      daily
      chaos
      on
      campus.
      Some
      womyn’s
     
     
      collectives
      have
      no
      formal
      structure
      but
      the
      majority
     
     
      have
      a
      formal
      constitution
      and
      policy
      manual.
      Many
     
     
      have
      paid
      coordinators
      with
      the
      job
      of
      outreach,
     
     
      liaison
      and
      daily
      administration
      of
      the
      centre.
      The
     
     
      U.Vic.
      Centre
      has
      a
      work
      study
      program
      and
      hires
     
     
      four
      students
      each
      year.
      Why
      a
      womyn’s
      centre?
     
     
      *Sexual
      harassment
      occurs
      at
      all
      levels
      of
      education.
     
     
      *Womyn
      are
      graduating
      with
      larger
      debt
      loads
      than
     
     
      their
      male
      counterparts.
     
    

    
     
      *Single
      parents,
      most
      of
      whom
      are
      womyn,
      are
      living
     
    
   
   
    
     
      below
      the
      poverty
      line
      due
      to
      inadequate
      student
     
     
      loans.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      21,
      1991
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *Womyn
      earn
      less
      from
      summer
      employment
      than
     
     
      men.
     
    

    
     
      *A
      very
      small
      percentage
      of
      tenured
      faculty
      are
     
     
      womyn.
     
    

    
     
      *Access
      to
      alternative
      health
      care
      is
      a
      priority.
     
     
      *Gender
      stereotyping
      and
      gender-exclusive
      language
     
     
      are
      predominant
      features
      of
      many
      classrooms.
     
     
      *Lesbians
      and
      women
      of
      colour
      face
      double
      discrimi-
     
     
      nation.
     
    

    
     
      *Womyn
      need
      aroom
      of
      their
      own.
      What
      is
      the
     
     
      mandate
      of
      sucha
      place?
      Based
      on
      a
      month’s
      re-
     
     
      search
      by
      fax
      and
      telephone,
      the
      bottom
      line
      is
      to
     
     
      provide
      a
      safe,
      supportive
      environment
      for
      womyn.
      4
     
     
      space
      that
      allows
      womyn
      to
      work
      collectively
      through
     
     
      skill
      and
      information
      sharing,
      trust,
      support
      and
     
     
      compassion.
      A
      place
      to
      network
      with
      other
      womyn’s
     
     
      ideas
      and
      issues.
      Most
      of
      these
      centres
      offer
      exten-
     
     
      sive
      resource
      centres
      with
      everything
      from
      pamphlets
     
     
      on
      birth
      control
      to
      films,
      books
      (as
      many
      as
      2000
      at
     
     
      Simon
      Fraser),
      and
      access
      to
      ongoing
      research
      for,
     
     
      and
      about,
      womyn.
      Many
      plan
      events
      and
      celebra-
     
     
      tions,
      workshops,
      memorials,
      and
      speakers.
      Some
     
     
      have
      the
      funds
      to
      produce
      publications
      for
      the
      general
     
     
      university
      population.
      The
      University
      of
      Victoria
     
     
      sends
      a
      pamphlet
      on
      their
      centre
      to
      all
      first
      year
     
     
      students.
      Their
      Power
      of
      Language
      pamphlet
      is
      sent
     
     
      to
      all
      faculty
      and
      staff.
      Another
      important
      aspect
      ofa
     
     
      womyn’s
      centre
      is
      the
      ongoing
      liaison
      with
      the
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      itself,
      special
      interest
      groups,
      and
      the
      commu-
     
     
      nity
      asa
      whole.
      Promoting
      equality
      on
      all
      levels
      of
      —
     
     
      campus
      life
      for
      students,
      staffand
      faculty.
      Issues
     
     
      that
      affect
      womyn
      such
      as
      security
      (Carleton
      Univer-
     
     
      sity
      Women’s
      Centre
      provides
      a
      foot
      patrol),
      pay
     
     
      equity,
      and
      academics
      (promoting
      the
      inclusion
      of
     
     
      womyn’s
      content
      in
      courses)
      are
      all
      included
      in
      their
      ~
     
     
      lobbying.
      The
      U.
      Vic.
      campaign
      ‘‘“NOMEANSNO”’
      ©
     
     
      has
      been
      adopted
      by
      CFS.
      Some
      provideareferral
      —
     
     
      service
      to
      other
      groups
      and
      agencies
      both
      on
      and
      off
      —
     
     
      campus.
      Meeting
      areas
      are
      for
      discussion
      groups
      on
     
     
      issues
      such
      as
      sexual
      harassment,
      daycare,
      pornogra-
     
     
      phy,
      suppression
      of
      womyn’s
      history
      and
      ideas,
      media
     
     
      exploitation,
      sex
      stereotyping
      in
      education,
      sexual
     
     
      assault,
      violence
      against
      womyn,
      and
      reproductive
     
     
      choice.
      Support
      groups
      are
      either
      formed
      with
      help
      —
     
     
      from
      the
      centre
      or
      already
      existing
      groups
      can
      use
      the
     
     
      meeting
      rooms.
      These
      groups’
      interests
      range
      from
      —