Vanier College celebrates International Women’s Week with a look at Sexuality, politics, feminism and the future

The week will kick off with a timely panel on Women and Peace Building in the Middle East. The presenters are fellows in the McGill Middle East program in Civil Society and Peace Building, which aims to promote peace by encouraging direct collaboration among all participants in the region, particularly through the building of people-to-people relationships.

The following day, Liza Novak will discuss Women Working for Change. Liza Novak has worked for legislative change in the area of discrimination and support services for women victims, and is currently involved in community development in the Côte-des-neiges area though various projects to help immigrant communities and immigrant women fight poverty and social exclusion. That afternoon, three Native Canadian women of various backgrounds, including Vanier students Priscilla Gilpin from Chisasibi, Quebec and Katsitsahawi Ashley Thomas from Kahnawake, and former Vanier student Tina Pisuktie will discuss how their life choices are geared towards the continued improvement of their communities, in a panel discussion entitled Promising Futures.

Later in the week, Liliane Kohl and Peggy Sakow will address “Slavery in the 21st Century: Sex Trafficking”. Two years ago both women joined forces at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Shalom, to start the Temple Committee Against Human Trafficking, now part of a larger interfaith coalition, which focuses educating the public, particularly young people, about the slavery of the 21st century, sex trafficking.

On Thursday, Katharine Setzer, the Director of Programming for image+nation, Montreal's International LGBT Film Festival, will speak on queer film festivals, challenges and progress, answering such questions as How do you choose films? How the films have changed over the years? The next morning Lilia Goldfard will make a presentation on What’s Sexy?

Finally, the week will end with a closing lecture by Françoise David. She will discuss Le féminisme au futur. Françoise David was one of the organizers of the world wide women’s march in 2000. She is currently a co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, a new political party with an ecological, feminist and social justice outlook.

For a complete list of lectures, films, locations, times, speakers and biographies consult: www.vaniercollege.qc.ca

(Source: Vanier College)