With the start of the 2024 fall semester, the Women’s Center has a brand new look and new events on the horizon.
The group has made strides over the last year with over 67 events planned and executed with the goal ll to raise awareness and create a sense of safety for everyone on campus.
“Most of our events are circulated around stress relief… People have so much heaviness with all of their coursework and balancing jobs,” said Senior Program Coordinator Chelsea Duckworth. “They just need that moment of creative release.”
“The Women’s Center has something for every student from any walk of life, including programs such as an Express Book Club, the LGBTQ Community Hour, Financial Wellness and Career Services,” said Duckworth.
It puts on events for the student body, such as Intramural Sports Night.
“We want to make sure that all students feel like they can participate in sporting events no matter what gender or activity level. If you wanna be active or just have fun, you’re welcome to,” said Duckworth.
The Women’s Center has undergone some renovations over the summer to build student engagement.
Beyond the paint job, the new amenities include a lactation space, updated conference room and a feminist library with 15 subcategories. They continue to have menstrual products, safe sex kits and educational content about women’s health available for students and faculty.
“When it happened it was so serendipitous, and it came together very nicely. All the different touches that people brought to it made it even better,” said Director of the Women’s Center Natasha Ria El-Scari.
The Women’s Center was created to be a place for all, and it doesn’t only welcome women, said Duckworth.
“A misconception is that we’re the stereotypical 70s white feminism group and that still gets a pretty bad rap,” said Duckworth. “We say it’s intersectional or it’s not feminism.”
Laila Stevenson, a work-study student at the center, wants to make it a safe space for every student who walks in.
“I feel like people think that we are very closed off, only to a specific group of people, which isn’t true,” said Stevenson. “Everyone is welcome in the Women’s Center.”
Click here for the Women’s Center’s upcoming events. If you’re interested, you can follow the UMKC Women’s Center on Instagram or visit their website to see details.
