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WGEN

The MSU Women & Gender Equity Network (WGEN) is a peer support driven service that caters to women, trans folk, people who identify outside the gender binary, gender non-conforming folk and all survivors of sexual and gender-based violence from all gender identities.

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WGEN provides a safe(r) space on campus in MUSC 204. It acts as a place for people to go and feel safe, talk about articles and issues in the media, make friends, and bond through common experiences. The space also has a library with a number of resources available for the McMaster community to use.

Along with facilitating our safe(r) space, we hold social events to build community, workshops to educate all folks, and campaigns to advocate and educate on behalf of and with the groups we were created to support.

Please connect with us via wgen@msu.mcmaster.ca or through our social media accounts.

WGEN is located in the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC), room 204. In addition, the WGEN space can be accessed virtually through Discord. Please note, WGEN is operational from September through April.

 

 

Peer support is a form of emotional and practical support in which the person providing peer support has had similar life experiences to the person seeking peer support. A peer supporter has experienced a similar experience and is trained to support others. Here at WGEN we believe in the transformative power of peer support. Our executive and volunteers are trained to listen and provide emotional support to whoever needs it.

WGEN offers different types of support to our users, which includes:

  • Walk-in Support: Available during our office hours which is facilitated by our safe(r) space volunteers, typically in the backspace of MUSC 204.
  • Support Groups: Closed groups offered at set times during the school year for a particular group of people that share a common experience.
  • Individual Support: Bookings involve scheduling a time to have a private peer support session with one of our executives in MUSC 204.

For more information on a particular kind of support that WGEN offers to its users, please explore the widgets below. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact wgen@msu.mcmaster.ca.

Through research and advocacy, WGEN aims to share information relevant to the intersectional, anti-racist work we do on campus. We work to share information in a way that is both accessible and practical through educational campaigns. To complement this work, we host a variety of events throughout the year which complement our publications.

If you are interested in being a WGEN Peer Support or Events Volunteer, please look out for applications near the end of the school year and again in September. We will announce when these opportunities arise on this site and on our social media channels. Open positions will be posted under the employment section of the website.