The Centre for Women and Trans People

The Centre for Women and Trans People is committed to providing a safe(r), harassment-free drop in space for all women and trans people on campus. We provide free support, referrals, resources and advocacy on issues of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, violence, health and poverty through our workshops, events, services and programming.

The Centre was founded by U of T women undergraduate students in 1986. They organized to create a safe, accessible space for all women at U of T to gather, seek support, and advocate on issues relevant to them. The Centre is a student funded, volunteer driven, non profit, campus, community organization governed by its Collective.

Mandate

The Centre exists as a drop-in space for University of Toronto students and community members to hang out, meet, learn, and share experiences in a safe, anti-oppressive and communal environment.

The Centre is committed to offering access to food security, alternative media, peer support and referrals in a women and trans-centred, family friendly space.

The Centre is committed to facilitating individual and collective creativity, self expression and empowerment by supporting local artists, conducting workshops and seminars, and providing space for community meetings.

The Centre is committed to working collaboratively with other social justice organizations on and off campus, and providing avenues for individual and collective activism by taking a leadership role in campus organizing and community building.

The Centre is committed to decolonization and supporting marginal voices, in particular, those that have been left out of mainstream political mobilizing. The Centre works to dismantle oppressive privileges and inequitable power structures.

The Centre is governed by a feminist Collective that operates through consensus decision making and is volunteer driven. The Centre is entirely student-funded. Vision Statement

The Centre envisions itself as a safe and inclusive community space on the University of Toronto campus that strives to be free of violence in all its forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, economic and spiritual. The Centre promotes progressive personal and community growth, accessible support and alternative information, based on an anti-oppression philosophy and framework that includes but is not limited to addressing issues of patriarchy, colonialism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia.

Through coalition-building and alliances, The Centre strives to be a strong advocacy and support organization that works towards empowering peoples in our own self-determination and to be recognized as such by its peers and community.