Despite the name, the Women Empowerment Club isn’t just for women — the group aims to foster an inclusive and safe environment for anyone who wants to work against sexism. The Ubyssey sat down with Co-Presidents Osheen Dayal and Laura Cappellacci to learn more about how the club runs and what we can look forward to in its future.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What is the Women Empowerment Club?
OD: Our club is a group of people who all have a very similar idea that the world is just not a place where women are equal to men. We are all frustrated, and this club is trying to do something about that. We are a very safe community for people coming and sharing things and just talking.
Why is the Women Empowerment Club important?
LC: I think there’s a lot of reasons. I mean, on the one hand, we don’t live in a world that is just for all genders. There’s no denying that, at least in our perspective. While Canada, in so many ways, is leaps and bounds ahead of other countries, it’s still a place that is filled with inequality. UBC is a very international campus, so we have people coming from all different parts of the world who have different experiences of sexism.
It can be so tiring and heartbreaking to constantly remember that there are so many people who don’t value you or see you as an equal, so it’s nice to have that community. One of the things we do is a book club where we just read feminist poetry or prose, and it's a place where we can all share our anger together.
Is the club limited to just women?
OD: The unfortunate part about this whole thing, and our club’s name is that men look at it and they’re like, ‘This is not my place and I’m not gonna come.’ This is our experience every time we booth — a lot of the time men just don’t want to approach our club.
LC: They see the name and they laugh.
I feel like it’s such a combo of some men being like, “Oh, maybe this isn’t my space and I want to give women a space,” which I think is coming from a very well-intentioned, respectful place. And then there’s also men who are just like, ‘That’s stupid,’ and look at us and point and laugh, and are not interested in being a part. So no matter how much we say our events are open to everyone, I think those two things are inevitable boundaries.
OD: There are amazing men who have come to the booth and donated. We had the menstrual drive last semester, and this semester, we had the clothing donation drive for the women's shelter in East Vancouver. There were men who came up and were like, ‘Hey, what can I do to donate? How can I help you?’ … There are those guys as well.
We need allies. We need men to speak.
Why should someone join your club?
LC: It’s a sense of community on a huge campus that can feel really overwhelming. It's always a very safe space to walk into. That's the number one reason to join. We put on monthly events that are sweet and fun. They can be educational or they can just be like, “Let’s paint and chat.” We host fundraisers that help give back to the community, so it gives people a chance to feel like they are making a tangible difference in the lives of women.
OD: We have a podcast [called And That’s On Equity], and every single time I listen to it, I’m amazed. We have first-years in our podcast team right now, and they are intuitive, amazing, wonderful people talking about feminism, talking about safety and gender roles.
What are some accomplishments that you are proud of as a club?
OD: Our club recently got nominated for being one of the most inclusive clubs at UBC.
LC: It's nice to see our hard work pay off. Osheen and I have felt really proud of the way, even in numbers, the club has grown this year. We've been able to have more people in each department.
The things I’m really proud of aren’t really the types of things we consider tangible achievements. I'm really proud of the safe space and the friendship and sisterhood that exists within our club. That's not something that is typically seen as an achievement in the way that we define it in a capitalist world. But that's truly the stuff that feels like the biggest achievement — making it an awesome place to exist.
Final thoughts?
LC: My biggest thing that I want people to know is we want you. Come hang out. Come join us. No matter who you are or what your gender identity is, there’s a space for you in our club and we would love to have you at our events.
Find more information about the Women Empowerment Club and information on future events on their Instagram, @ubcwec.
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