Events
Every year, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program introduces events on campus that engage and inspire the Boston College community in a meaningful way. Listed below is an overview of our yearly programs.
Guest Speakers
As an interdisciplinary minor, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program strives to invite speakers who are of interest to students and faculty in all academic areas. An integral part of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program is providing students with opportunities to attend lectures by knowledgeable and engaging scholars on topics relevant to the study of gender.
Over the past years, we have had an incredible line-up of individuals who presented on a range of topics, from the prevalence of sexism and misogyny in cyberspace to female combatants in ethno-national conflicts. Some of our most popular recent speakers have been Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America, and Sonya Renee Taylor, founder of The Body is Not an Apology movement.
Recent Speakers:
Morgan Jerkins, author of This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America.
Natalia Zuckerman, songwriter, artist, and storyteller.
Byron Hurt, award-winning documentary filmmaker, lecturer, published writer, and anti-sexist activist.
Sonya Renee Taylor, founder of The Body is Not an Apology movement.
Campus Events
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program regularly invites Boston College professors and local professionals to speak on issues of gender, body image, women’s issues, and sexuality through discussion panels, workshops, speaking events, and more.
Recent Events:
“Understanding Masculinities” Workshop with Professor James Mahalik.
“An Intersectional Approach to Talking about Body Image & Eating Disorders” Discussion with Stephanie Haines, M.Ed.
The Vagina Monologues
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program sponsors the annual student-led production of The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler’s energetic and moving exploration of key issues about women’s physical and psychological development towards a deep sense of self and self-worth. The play addresses the important social issue of violence against women at home and in wartime. The Vagina Monologues is also a world-renowned theater piece combining humor and tragedy, making use of personal and collective biography, and educating through popular entertainment. As part of a national “V-Day” program at colleges and in theaters across the country, the annual Boston College production raises money for a selected local organization working for women’s welfare.
The discussions within the college community fostered by The Vagina Monologues increase awareness about women’s rights issues from the past and present in an effort to end violence against women in the future. Members of the Boston College community are also invited to a subsequent panel discussion, “Dialogues on the Monologues,” to explore how various disciplines interact with the performance. BC faculty panelists offer their insight and expertise on the questions and reflections raised by the student and campus community following the production.
Co-Sponsorships
In partnership with the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies (GCWS) at MIT, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program participates in the annual Women Take the Reel festival, which honors Women’s History month through film screenings celebrating women’s accomplishments within the film industry and current topics of women and gender.
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program also has a long history of coordinating events with the Women’s Center and providing speakers for the annual Love Your Body Week and CARE (Concern About Rape Education) Week.
Flyers from events sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program over the last few years are availbe in the linked PDF below.