Celebrating International Women's Day

This year, International Women’s Day is on March 8. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the achievements of women within the SFU community, challenge gender stereotypes and unconscious biases against women, and work towards forging a gender-equal world.

Here are some ways for you to get involved: 

Attend an event

SFSS Women’s Centre Celebrates International Women’s Day | Mar. 2-6 | Multiple locations
The SFSS Women’s Centre is hosting four events this week to celebrate International Women’s Day, from a Python programming workshop to an Indigenous feminist movie night. 

In Plain Sight - Opening Reception | Mar. 4 | Telus World of Science
The Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology invite you to “In Plain Sight,” a photojournalistic look at the lives and careers of women in STEM fields that is running at the Telus World of Science from March 2 - April 17. This opening reception is your chance to see the exhibition free of charge, as well as an opportunity to meet the women behind the project. 

Women of Colour Rising: An International Women’s Day Event | Mar. 5 | SFU Woodward’s
The World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Vancouver Hub and SFU Public Square are organizing this panel, which will feature women of colour who have successfully navigated, survived and thrived in high-pressure environments of business, politics and not-for-profits. 

An Army of Lovers - Opening Reception | Mar. 8 | 1150 Chestnut Street, Vancouver
“An Army of Lovers” is an exhibition of lesbian oral history collected by History 451 students at SFU, in collaboration with the Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony. Join them for their opening reception for intergenerational dialogue with lesbian activists within the Women’s Movement and meet with participants from the project. “An Army of Lovers” is on display at the City of Vancouver Archives from March 9 - April 24.  

Rising Silence: Film Screening | Mar. 8 | SFU Woodward’s
The South Asian Film Education Society, supported by the South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD) and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at SFU, is hosting this screening of the award-winning documentary Raising Silence. Celebrate International Women’s Day by remembering atrocities against women so we can stop violence against women. 

International Women’s Day Gala 2020 | Mar. 21 | 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster
SFU’s Young Women in Business invite you to their keynote event, which brings together students and professionals to network, celebrate and create community. 

Learn something new

• Drop by the Belzberg Library at SFU Harbour Center to check out their International Women’s Day display, which includes biographies of women from around the world. 
• Visit the SFSS Women’s Centre Library to browse over 5000 resources related to feminism and women’s equity. 
• Check out the SFU Library’s resource guide to unconscious bias, hiring and retention, which includes information about uncovering our unconscious biases and tools for addressing them in the workplace.
• The Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology hosts an extensive collection of resources that address gender diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and runs a blog about issues related to women in STEM.
• SFU’s partnership with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) allows SFU staff and faculty to access resources on many EDI-related topics:
  • There are several upcoming CCDI webinars related to issues around gender diversity and unconscious bias, including “Managing Bias in Hiring” (March 10) and “Gender Diversity” (March 26). To access these webinars for free, indicate that you work for a CCDI employer partner during the registration process. 
  • CCDI maintains a Knowledge Repository that contains over 1,000 Canadian-specific diversity and inclusion reports, research articles and more. To access the repository, email kr@ccdi.ca with the subject line “Add to Knowledge Repository”. 

Get connected

Plug in with an on-campus group and find out how you can support gender diversity and women’s equity at SFU. 

• The SFSS Women’s Centre provides services to students of all genders, including crisis referrals, peer support and volunteer opportunities.  
• Check out the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies website for their latest course offerings and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter to learn about upcoming events and initiatives.
• Academic Women at SFU is an organization of women faculty, lab instructors, and librarians that meets several times a year to discuss issues related to gender equity, both as SFU employees and as women working in academia.
• The Beedie Graduate Women’s Council is an elected Beedie graduate student and alumni volunteer-run club that offers career development opportunities with a focus on diversity. 
• SFU’s Young Women in Business network provides young women and professionals with events, programs and an engaged network of ambitious women to help them become successful in their careers. 
• SFU Women in Computing Science organizes professional networking events, technical workshops and outreach programs aimed at supporting and promoting women in computing science, as well as challenging biases and myths faced by women in the field. 
• SFU’s Women in Engineering group aims to increase the representation and awareness of nonconforming groups in the engineering profession by organizing mentorship opportunities, networking sessions and socials.