At MSVU, our commitment to the advancement of women is a long-standing one. MSVU was founded on that basis almost 150 years ago. Recently, we have rearticulated this commitment through our new strategic plan, Strength Through Community, in which we define our purpose as fostering the education of women and other engaged thinkers, while committing to social justice and to an equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible community.
Women’s College Coalition
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021, I’m pleased to share with you one way in which we will continue to further our work in support of the advancement of women: through membership in the prestigious Women’s College Coalition (WCC). The WCC is a network of colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada committed to fostering educational opportunities for women. MSVU is only the second Canadian institution to join.
The WCC has as its mission “to transform the world through the education and success of women and girls. WCC is a convener and a leading advocate for women’s educational institutions.” Membership in the WCC will provide MSVU with partnership opportunities on key events, enable sharing of online feminist and other resources, and facilitate presidential/leadership connection and knowledge sharing.
We are delighted to be uniting with leading institutions across the US and Canada that share in our commitment to the empowerment of women.
Virtual Girls Conference
Last Friday, March 5, the Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice (AMI) at MSVU hosted its 10th annual Girls Conference. More than 450 girls ages 11 to 18 (a record number!) joined in the day-long series of workshops, themed ‘Girl Power in a Digital World.’ To celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary and help reach as many girls as possible, the conference was provided free of charge this year. Congratulations to AMI Chair Dr. KelleyAnne Malinen and her team for their leadership of this exceptional event.
Video
I invite you to watch this brief video created to celebrate MSVU’s leading commitment to the advancement of women. It proudly takes you through some highlights of the many manifestations of our commitment to empowering generations of women. Enjoy.
Today also serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go in our quest for gender equity. There are indications that the pandemic has disproportionately affected women. This issue – as well as the disproportionate pandemic effects on other populations – must be carefully considered and collectively responded to so that we do not slide backwards in our quest forward.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Sincerely,
Mary
Dr. Mary Bluechardt
President and Vice-Chancellor
Mount Saint Vincent University
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