[Matt Wright]

What we can take away from the Women's Centre Referendum is that people were not informed enough to make a decision either way. It may not be that people are uninterested, but just that the facts were not given with enough notice. If, at some point, there was a choice between having a women's centre or not, people have to be aware of some very crucial information: the group claims that mac needs to join the other schools that have a women's centre, but those schools DO NOT have services such as diversity services and SHEC which aim to create a "safe space" for students. OMBUDS is also a service that provides students the chance to report injustices and have trained individuals that are constantly attending to issues that arise on campus.

Before a women's centre can be established, there has to be a consensus across all students, which was clearly not the case. Although I would support a women's centre if there was no presence on campus, we have various other centres and services that are in place to deal with gender inequalities.

As an engineering representative, I have seen first hand that there are more men than women in engineering. This is not an injustice, this is enrollment. I would like to go on further by congratulating the two females who have been elected to the SRA Engineering Caucus. The establishment of a women's centre did not get them these positions, they earned them by reaching out to students and making their names known. Comparing genders and their accessibility has been a hot topic on campus lately, but I would urge all to respect everyone's views and not bring any personal objectifications into the mix.

[AndrewC]

3) Men are already on a higher level than women and when are men abused? Not often. Why would there be a need for a "men's centre"?

there was a good opinion piece in this weeks Sil that talks about how men are abused on a level that is very comparable to abuse against women.

[webzn]

Originally Posted by AndrewC

there was a good opinion piece in this weeks Sil that talks about how men are abused on a level that is very comparable to abuse against women.

I have two examples, using "friend" as the relationship because I dont want to give away the relationship, and I feel its really important people read these:

Men are usually subject to greater verbal abuse. In my own life, we have a "friend" that is being verbally abused by his wife. He spends a lot of time outdoors because he is afraid to inside his house. Yet, there is very little he can do. What is his outlet?

I have a second example, "friend", who recently died. He married an absolutely insane (should have her children taken away) woman and had children. In that marrage was she would physically abuse him (throw chairs at him...once threw boiling water at him). Well, he would on occasion get fed up and hit her back. She would call the police, and he was charge with assulting his wife, yet she was NEVER charged as well. He spent many nights in jail, and was unable to do anything because if he divorsed her, he would lose custody of the children because he has been charged with assulting his wife, and he could not afford allimony. He could barely afford the appartment they lived in. What was he to do? Where was his help?

For women to think that only they get abused is why there are men like the ones I mentioned above. They create the, for lack of better word, stereotype that only women get abused in relationships. For gods sake, abuse against men is used as comedy. Have you watched an episode of Everybody's loves Raymond lately? In many episodes, there is borderline spousal abuse, yet, its considered comedy. Watch the PMS episode, now pretend it was Ray treating Deborah the same way, not so funny now isn't it. Why the double standard?

[DavidR]

Originally Posted by Slania

1) In what way are you ever at a disadvantage, or "marginalized" because of the fact that you are a man?
2) Everywhere is a man's centre besides the ladies' bathrooms.
3) Men are already on a higher level than women and when are men abused? Not often. Why would there be a need for a "men's centre"?.

I normally stay out of topics like this - but it's comments like this, if anything, that are holding women back. Last time I checked this is 21st century Canada and women are given the same opportunities men are. Stop knocking your gender down a few pegs. Everywhere is a woman's centre just as much as it is a man's centre. Men can just as often be abused, have our own problems to deal with and are in no way on a higher level than women.

Although it's important to remember, and to illustrate the ways in which we have gotten where we are - the past is just that, past. We, as a society (of both men and women) can only move forward if we all start acknowledging we are equal - that means you too.