The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Rijaa Khan: My name is Rijaa, my pronouns are she and her and I'm the [Women and Gender Equity Network] director this year.
What is WGEN?
WGEN is a peer-support service. We cater to women, trans folk, nonbinary folk and people who generally identify outside the gender binary. We also cater to all survivors of sexual and gender based violence, so, to people from all gender identities. We provide a safer space on campus and we're on the second floor of MUSC, room 204. People can come in and just chill. We have a library and many different resources. We run events throughout the year as well, and we have community care groups.
WGEN is a peer-support service. We cater to women, trans folk, nonbinary folk and people who generally identify outside the gender binary. We also cater to all survivors of sexual and gender based violence.
Rijaa Khan, Director, Women and Gender Equity Network
What inspired you to join WGEN?
When I was in first year, it was the year right before the pandemic, [so] everything was in-person and I would come to the space a lot as a service user to read or talk to people. For me, it definitely was a safe space. When you're on campus, you're always running around and it can feel really overwhelming. There wasn't really any space like WGEN on campus that I felt truly comfortable in. Then, because of my love for that, I became involved afterwards. I've been a part of the exec team since then, for the past five years now. Just because of the ways that the service helped me, I was inspired to join and provide that support for other people.
What is your fondest memory from your past five years with WGEN?
It was during the pandemic. We were running a music exchange event where we were sharing our favourite BIPOC artists for our campaign Bodies are Dope. I almost didn't want to go, but I decided, "I’ll turn my camera off and just be there." A lot of people came to the event and I think, like me, they came just to do something. But we ended up going past two hours because everyone became so comfortable talking about music and our favourite artists. I was in the trenches during the pandemic, and I'm sure everyone was, so this memory is so fond to me from this genuine feeling of community that I was reminded still exists.
I was in the trenches during the pandemic, and I'm sure everyone was, so this memory is so fond to me from this genuine feeling of community that I was reminded still exists.
Rijaa Khan, Director, Women and Gender Equity Network
I really appreciate that. I think the community aspect is really hard to come by even with life in person.
I think it's one of the biggest difficulties in running a service but it's one of the most important things. It can be really hard to make friends. When I was in first year, even though it was in-person, I struggled because I was in this huge program and you rarely see the same people every day. So, the only avenue to make friends for me was through services like WGEN, which is something I hear to this day from other people too.
What do you want others to know about WGEN?
For WGEN, people know us only through the purple room or from our events. One thing I try to emphasize is that we’re involved in a lot of the events they’re talking about. We have three campaigns every year: Transforming Mac in November, where we run the Trans Day of Remembrance vigil with the [Pride Collective Centre] and the [Queer and Trans Colour Club]; Bodies are Dope in February, which is a campaign centered around bodies, body neutrality, racialized bodies; and Making Waves, towards the end of the year, which is very workshop-focused. I've heard that these sorts of things aren’t available for people across campus, but I want to emphasize that they’re here.
What would you say to someone who is uncertain about visiting WGEN?
One user told me she circled the space for two weeks before stepping in. That was so relatable because it's something that I did in my first year. But, as soon as I stepped in, it was so welcoming and comfortable that I couldn't figure out why I was scared in the first place. I was someone who I was always scared of going to events too. We’re mindful to create events where, if you don’t want to socialize or talk to people, you can still come and do something together, like watch a movie or make art. Even if you're feeling anxious or shy, you can just be present and get to know everyone. It is really scary, and I want to validate those fears – I had those anxieties too – but it can potentially be one of the best memories that you have in your undergrad. Taking that leap was the best thing I could have done for myself. So, give yourself and the people in the space a chance to get to know you. From that, you can see how much you like it and whether you want to keep coming back.
Comprehensive sexual education provided by universities can help students navigate their developing identities, relationships and choices
I know how to find the hypotenuse of a triangle. I can name each of the planets in our solar system. I can even list several literary devices. But if you ask me what I learned about sexual health over the span of the five years it’s taught in the public school curriculum, I could tell you nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, the awkward giggles, bewildered expressions and uncomfortable atmosphere are all that’s cemented in my brain years later.
As young adults transitioning from high school to university, life on campus introduces opportunities to explore new relationships, new experiences and new choices.
However, as students begin to pursue sexual experiences, they’re forced to rely on sub-par sex-ed from high-school, conversations with friends or searches on the web – which aren’t always reliable.
Given the diversity of students at university, it’s important to recognize the various experiences and levels of exposure individuals have received to sexual education.
With the need for more comprehensive sex-ed, universities can help bridge the knowledge gap left by schools. They can create safe and accessible spaces that encourage learning about sexual health and well-being in unbiased and non-judgemental ways.
Depending on where students come from, sex and sexual health may be severely stigmatized. As a result, the formal sexual education curriculum may be minimal to non-existent, leaving many international students with a poor understanding of sexuality, reproductive health and rights.
Even for domestic students who receive curriculum-based sex-ed in Canada, the content is not culturally inclusive and fails to take a holistic approach.
All students, and especially Black, Indigenous and People of Colour students, would benefit from an anti-racist approach to sexual education that decolonizes, Indigenizes and dismantles systems of oppression. Such an approach to sex-ed offered in post-secondary settings would open opportunities for important dialogues that include the Black, Indigenous and other racialized experiences.
These communities have also been disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, such as higher rates of sexual violence and sexually transmitted infections, due to various determinants including low socioeconomic status, inequitable access to healthcare and a lack of trust in the healthcare systems that have a history of racism, discrimination and structural violence. An anti-racist sex-ed framework could offer better support for these communities.
It is also critical to support the disconnect young adults with diverse identities experience when navigating their sexuality and health. For instance, the colonization and historical trauma experienced by the Indigenous community still deeply affect their ability to relate to the content taught in school curriculums. Likewise, 2SLGBTQ2IA+ students need access to better support and a sex-ed curriculum that remains inclusive of their experiences and provides evidence-based information to promote positive sexual health outcomes.
It is also critical that students with disabilities receive proper access to comprehensive sex-ed. Too often, individuals with disabilities are stripped of their dignity and autonomy and that needs to change. Applying health equity and justice frameworks to centre the experiences and voices of oppressed groups is key to ensuring all individuals are able to express their sexuality on their own terms.
Sex-ed matters. It gives students power over their identity, sexuality, health, relationships and more importantly, their future.
Everyone has the right to comprehensive sexual education and I believe that a comprehensive sexual education curriculum is an intersectional and equitable one. Comprehensive sexual education incorporates the narratives of BIPOC communities, rather than outdated and oppressive frameworks from the past. It also provides students with the opportunity to learn about topics beyond reproductive health such as healthy relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation.
With the need for more comprehensive sex-ed, universities can help bridge the knowledge gap left by schools. They can create safe and accessible spaces that encourage learning about sexual health and well-being in unbiased, nonjudgmental ways.
Depending on where students come from, sex and sexual health may be severely stigmatized. As a result, the formal sexual education curriculum may be minimal to non-existent, leaving many international students with a poor understanding of sexuality, reproductive health and rights.
And while the McMaster Students Union services like the Student Health Education Centre, Women & Gender Equity Network and the Pride Community Centre are already working towards disseminating this knowledge and providing resources for students, McMaster has a unique opportunity to do more.
By implementing comprehensive sex-ed during Welcome Week and orientation for incoming students and offering regular support through the Student Wellness Centre, McMaster can promote positive sexual health outcomes and leave their students feeling sexually-empowered with a greater recognition for their dignity and bodily autonomy.
Sex-ed is an ongoing process and shouldn’t stop in high school. As we continue to grow and discover ourselves, the relevancy of sex-ed increases and so does the need for universities to equip their students with accessible support and evidence-based resources.
By Christina Reed, Contributor
Every winter, many women in Hamilton find themselves without a safe, warm place to sleep.
Without protection from the elements, these women struggle to survive. As affordable housing in Hamilton becomes increasingly inaccessible, the number of homeless women in Hamilton in need of emergency shelters rises each year. According to a 2018 community profile from the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 65 per cent of the 386 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness in Hamilton spent the night at a shelter.
In Hamilton, a number of non-profit organizations collectively work to address the needs of women vulnerable to homelessness. Mission Services of Hamilton, a Christian charity centred around eradicating poverty, runs Willow’s Place, a year-round drop-in hub that provides safety and amenities during daytime hours. This includes access to showers, harm reduction services, a secure place to rest and opportunities to engage in creative and social activities. In the winter, Willow's Place provides extended hours, given that they secure sufficient donor support.
Carole Anne’s Place is an overflow women’s shelter run during the winter months by the Young Women’s Christian Association of Hamilton, a women-led service organization that focuses on health and wellness programs. Women coming to Carole Anne’s place are greeted with a hot meal, a safe bed to sleep in and hot coffee the following morning. Bus tickets are provided so that women can travel between Willow’s Place and Carole Anne’s Place.
Violetta Nikolskaya, Senior Program Analyst at the YWCA Hamilton and co-founder of the Women and Gender Equity Network at McMaster, said that working around the clock was key to working together and providing essential services.
“Our relationship was built on the collaboration of women's services — no one organization can do this alone,” she added.
“Our relationship was built on the collaboration of women's services — no one organization can do this alone,” said Violetta Nikolskaya, Senior Program Analyst at the YWCA Hamilton and co-founder of the Women and Gender Equity Network at McMaster
This is the fourth winter that Carole Anne’s Place has supported homeless women in Hamilton. The program originated from another Hamilton non-profit, Out of the Cold, which offers hot meals to those in need over the winter months.
Previously, Carol Anne’s Place had been funded by Out of the Cold and Hamilton-Niagara’s Local Health Integration Network, one of the 14 provincial authorities that governed public healthcare administration in 2019. Ontario’s 14 LHINs were replaced by a 12-member Ontario health agency board; as a result, the YWCA has lost access to previous funding.
There would be no provincial support for Carole Anne’s Place to open on Dec. 1. Without funding, Carole Anne’s Place would be unable to open this winter, leaving many homeless women with nowhere to go during dangerously cold nights. Willow’s Place, which relies on donations, would also be unable to expand their winter hours without further funding this year.
On Nov. 6, in a last-minute push, City Hall approved $128,000 in emergency funding to keep Carole Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place available this winter.
This is not a sustainable solution. Sam Merulla, the Ward 4 councillor who moved to provide the donation, sided with this point.
"It's not good management to have someone all the sudden come in at the eleventh hour and say 'we need a quarter of a million dollars?' It's not good governance," said Merulla to CBC.
"It's not good management to have someone all the sudden come in at the eleventh hour and say 'we need a quarter of a million dollars?' It's not good governance," said Merulla.
According to Nikolskaya, it is not uncommon for initiatives such as Carole Anne’s Place and Willow’s Place to struggle with sustainable core funding. The need to maintain emergency shelters in Hamilton is becoming more urgent with the rising number of homeless women in the city. Nikolskaya reports that emergency women’s shelters have been over capacity for the last several years, and she has witnessed the amount of women seeking refuge at Carole Anne’s Place increasing with every year.
In the winter of 2014-2015, Nikolskaya reports that only about five women would access Carole Anne’s programming per night. In the winter of 2018-2019, this number jumped to an average of 14 women per night, with some nights seeing as many as 20.
Often reaching maximum capacity, Hamilton's shelters have been turning away women in recent years. This is likely linked to the rising prevalence of homelessness in Hamilton and a lack of affordable housing.
While monetary donations play a huge role in supporting the YWCA and Mission Services, there are other ways to contribute. For example, donations of socks and underwear are also valuable. According to Nikolskaya, any contribution can be an impactful one in ensuring that no woman is left in the cold this winter.
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