Program Overview

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Women's and Gender Studies Program

The Women's and Gender Studies Program tackles the fundamental questions of equality and social justice. As a dynamic interdisciplinary program, we explore both current and historical debates about women's experiences, gender relations, and feminism.

History of the Program

The women's movement in the 1960s and 70s in North America led to the establishment of many different organizations and institutions in which issues directly relevant to women's lives were put at the core of the agenda. At the University of Manitoba, Women's Studies was established as an academic program in the early 70s by committed feminist academics who felt that women needed a program which specifically addressed women's issues.

Programs of Study

Bachelor of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies

The program explores a wide-range of social justice, political, and cultural issues. General, advanced, and honours degrees are available as well as a minor option.

• Program details
• Admission requirements
• Academic Calendar

Course Offerings

The course listing is a preliminary list of undergraduate and graduate courses per term that includes the course start and end date.

Student Resources and Opportunities

Explore Your Career Options in Women's and Gender Studies

Get the information you need for academic planning and connect with experiences to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes that employers are seeking.

Research Assistantships

Faculty members occasionally hire capable Women's and Gender Studies students to assist in their research. Types of work vary by position and may include:

• Data entry
• Coding
• Transcription
• Abstracting
• Creating annotated bibliographies or other forms of databases
• Translation
• Library and/or archival research
• Interviewing research participants

Margaret Laurence Endowment Fund (MLEF) Student Internships

Each year, paid internships in various local feminist organizations are available for WGS students.

Undergraduate Research Awards (URA)

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work with our leading faculty researchers and gain valuable experience.

Financial Aid and Awards

Students can apply for awards such as:

• Grace Parasiuk Bursary
• Lambda Foundation for Excellence - Les McAfee Memorial Award
• Faculty of Arts and UM-wide awards

Research

Areas of Research

The program's faculty members specialize in various areas, including:

• Sex work and prostitution studies
• Critical race studies
• Decolonization and violence against women
• Feminist popular cultural studies
• Gendered violence and anti-violence activisms
• Lesbian and queer studies
• Feminist geographies
• Masculinity studies
• Gender and environmental justice
• Bodies and sexualities
• Creative writing for social change

Faculty Research

The faculty members' research focuses on:

• Shawna Ferris: Sex work and prostitution studies, critical race studies, decolonization, and violence against women
• Mylène Gamache: Decolonizing potential of dream-work and contemporary feminine storytelling
• Nancy Kang: Transnational, multi-ethnic, and diaspora women's literature
• Liz Millward: History and geography of women's spaces
• Adele Perry: Canadian colonialism, transnationalism, and migration in relation to gender and sexuality
• Jocelyn Thorpe: History and legacies of colonialism in the Canadian context, seeking to understand how past discourses and relationships of power lead to and naturalize present-day social and environmental inequities

News

The program regularly publishes news and updates on its activities, events, and research. Recent news includes:

• Book launch of student anthology
• Indigenous women teaching through filmmaking
• Arts grad ends degree with Creative Expression Award
• Creative voice shines light on women's stories
• How to build a better Canada after COVID-19
• SHE group gets glimpse of life as UM student
• The enduring contributions of African American women writers