On Monday, Dec. 8, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the Women’s Resource Center, in collaboration with the Muslim Student Association, will hold Intersections: Muslim Women in room 310B of the Student Center.
“We hope it sparks inquiry and pushes folks to learn about other identities that might not be their own,” said Ellen Lassiter Collier, WRC Program Coordinator. “This kind of creates a natural curiosity around learning and respect.”
“We are making sure we are involving students who that is their lived experience instead of me just speaking for people,” said Collier.
Attendees of the event will watch “Make Me a Muslim,” a documentary by the BBC about British women who converted to the Islam, attendees will get the opportunity to participate in a facilitated discussion and listen to members of MSA share their personal experiences.
“We are making sure we are involving students who that is their lived experience instead of me just speaking for people,” said Collier.
While this event is focused on Muslim women, the overall theme of the series is showing what it means to be a woman and shed light on the different difficulties women face based on their identities. Beyond a natural curiosity, events like these help band women of different backgrounds together.
“People sometimes assume that just because we all have a uterus that means that we all have the same experiences,” Collier said. “That’s not the case. We want to make sure we give some voice to those differences.”
Previous events focused on intersectionality and what it means, women in the LGBT community, and Native women on reservations dealing with sexual assault.
Painting each of these experiences with a broad brush would be impossible; the sessions don’t portray a complete picture of someone’s situation. Instead, they open the door to conversations that need to be had.
“We come together and learn about these experiences but then walk away with an appreciation and a respect for our different experiences,” Collier said. “That can be a really beautiful thing, when we come together to actually listen to one another. When we respect one another, that’s really powerful.”
Four more Intersection sessions will be held in the winter semester, also focused on women and women’s issues.
For more information on this session and future sessions, contact Collier at ecollie1@emich.edu.
