Women’s History Month Feature: Discover the Center for Gender & Sex Equity at RVCC
March is Women’s History Month, which presents the perfect opportunity to highlight the incredible work happening at Center for Gender & Sex Equity (CGSE) at Raritan Valley Community College. Originally founded as The Women’s Center, the focus of the CGSE has evolved to empower and support advocacy and student mentorship for all matters related to gender, sex, and sexuality.
“It’s not just women who are affected by these issues, but lots of different gender identities,” says Dr. Sara R. Banfield, co-director Center for Gender and Sex Equity and Professor of Communication Studies at RVCC. “We really took our work into this place of intersectionality, which is where the study of feminism has gone. It’s an exciting to be a part of that.”
Positioned at the intersection of activism and theory—and grounded in academic research—
the CGSE is a hub for information, educational programming, and events for the campus community. The goal is to create and maintain a campus community that is safe, inclusive, and equitable.
Take Action Towards Gender & Sex Equity at RVCC
- Attend an upcoming CGSE event:
A Talk on Taylor Swift & her role in feminism today
When: April 25, 2024, at 1pm
Where: The Atrium
- Sign up for CGSE’s newsletter to hear about upcoming events and explore volunteer opportunities.
- Apply for paid internship with CGSE by emailing womenscenter@raritanval.edu
- Take courses related to careers in gender studies as part of RVCC’s programs in Humanities and Social Sciences, English, and Philosophy. You may be wondering: “What do you study in women's studies?” or “Is women's studies the same as gender studies? Explore these course descriptions to learn more:
Intro to Women & Gender Studies
LGBTQ+ Literature
- Join an RVCC student club related to women and/or sex and gender equality, such as The Alliance, Feminist Coalition (FEMCO), Society of Women Engineers Club, and To Write Love on Her Arms.
Learn More About Women’s History Month
- What is Women’s History Month? Women’s History Month celebrates the significant personal and societal roles women have played today and throughout history.
- When is Women’s History Month? Women’s History Month is a month-long celebration observed each March.
- Why is Women’s History Month Important?
“It’s important to acknowledge that women have been experiencing the world in a different way for a very long time in our culture, from the gender pay gap to the pink tax,” says Dr. Banfield. “While we’ve made a lot of progress, disparities still exist in a lot of different ways for a lot of different women, especially women of minority status,” she says. “Women’s History Month gives us a great opportunity to highlight where we’ve come from but also where we should go.”
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Discover the RVCC Difference
Raritan Valley Community College is ranked the #1 community college in New Jersey by WalletHub.com and Intelligent.com. Conveniently located for students in Somerset County and Hunterdon County, NJ, RVCC offers more than 90 high-quality programs, including associate degree programs and professional certification opportunities across a variety of fields. For further information on RVCC, visit www.raritanval.edu.
