The Women's Center is under attack!

Without notifying or consulting Women's Center members, the Women's Studies Department, or the University of Massachusetts Boston community, the Women's Center has been shut down.

This decision was made unilaterally and the reasoning is as follows: 1) There is no coordinator this semester for the Women's Center, and 2) There has not been enough programming or events, so the Women's Center is no longer worth the investment.

In reality, these reasons are invalid.

1) Despite very little to no advertisement, there are nearly a dozen applicants ready and willing to be a coordinator - many of whom tried to apply last semester, only to be given the run-around. 2) Despite being de-funded last semester, the Women's Center managed to run many events and discussions in coordination with other Student Centers and the Women's Studies Department.

Even if these claims were true, the Women's Center - on this campus and at countless other Universities - are NOT about churning out events and parties. The Center provides a safe space, a community and refuge, where women can come to talk about and find resources for women's issues. It is an insult to all students, not only women, that the University does not consider this a worthy investment.

We need YOU to demand that the voices of the Women's Center be heard, and to demand that those who wish us to be silenced are made accountable.

Sign this petition and tell Chancellor Motley that enough is enough - he needs to intervene, restore the Women's Center, and hire a student coordinator to run it now!