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Women's Center

Welcome to the Northwestern Women’s Center.

Fortieth Anniversary Calendar

Women's Center

Welcome to the Northwestern Women’s Center.

Fortieth Anniversary Calendar

Who We Are

Fostering a campus climate that enriches the lives of all members of the University community.

We are committed to gender inclusion at Northwestern University. Our center serves as a space for support, community, advocacy, and education.

Overlapping translucent multicolor shapes fotm the top border to this pale green page. In the top left there is a fortieth anniversary women's center logo in purple. At the top right in giant fuscia block letters, the title, "Feminist Campus Tour." The remaining texts runs down the right side of the page in a half sheet column of purple, fuscia and then dark green writing. It reads, "Led by the Women's Center's Managing Director of Public History and Doctoral Candidate, Hannah Simmons. Tuesday June 3rd 10:00 am. Meet at the arch. Take a literal walk through some of Northwestern's rich feminist history with Hannah, who will also share with you pre-recorded interviews with NU Faculty and archival audio of changemakers from our collective past. The left half of the page contains images. At the top, beneath the logo, artwork created by Jasmine Gurneau for the Social Justice Campus Tours. It is an abstract map of purple, teal, and dark orange. It serves as a frame for a circular headshot photo of Hannah. Hannah is a young and Black and in this image femme-presenting. the have thick acetate rimmed black glasses, amuve lips, and silver hoop earring. Their hair is pulled back and their head is titled. Below Hannah is a qr code to register. and below that three circular photos with purple rings and purple lines connecting them as if three spots on a map. The top circle shows the front window of the GSRC, a tall rainbow arch with hearts in it's center. The second and largest photograph is an image taken by a student reporter in May of 1970. Eva Jefferson is facing away form the camera and toward a crowd of several thousand students on the meadow. This photo is black and white and was retrieved via the University Archive with assistance from Charla Wilson. The third photo is of the front door of the Women's Center, It is a one-colored screen door on a red brick building with a green sign.

Feminist Campus Tour June 2nd

Overlapping translucent multicolor shapes form the top border to this pale green page. In the top left there is a fortieth anniversary women's center logo in purple. At the top right in in purple and white cursive it reads, "Records of the Women's Center," followed by giant fuscia block letters, "Exhibit Talk" The remaining texts runs down the right side of the page in a half sheet column of purple, fuscia and then dark green writing. It reads, "Undergraduate research assistant Chloe Wang has put together two exhibits of original archival materials highlighting the first forty years of the women’s center. Chloe will share how they recreated a theatrical production, dug deep into our archives, and chose to curate a history out of values and community rather than chronology. Chloe’s mini exhibit at the women’s center will be open for the first week of June. Their installation at the book nook will remain up through to the end of September. Wednesday June 3rd. 4:00 pm. Community room, 2000 Sheridan Road. There is also a QR code to register. The left half of the page contains images. There is a fuscia background and over it a photo of an archival object (a women's center mailed newsletter from the late nineties or early aughts). It serves as a frame for a circular headshot photo of Chloe. Hannah is a young Asian person with black hair that is blonde at the tip where it crosses over her shoulder. She is wearing white over-ear headphones and holding a black pen just below their lip. They have on a purple Northwestern t-shirt.

Exhibit Talk June 3rd

Translucent rainbow shapes overlap around the top border of a pale green page. In the center at the top is a large coral colored 40th anniversary logo. In cursive to either side of the logo it reads, "June fourth, 12:30 - 2. all invited. W.C. Lawn. Across the width of the page in large whit cursive it says, "Garden Party." Below this are two columns of details: "Picnic with Kosher, Halal, Vegetarian, and BBQ options. Plus Nana Kakes!; Special performance by Po’chop with student dance, song and spoken word openers; Announcing the 2026 Shujaa; A 40th Anniversary Archival Exhibit; Presentation by Feminist in Residence, Noelle Garcia. " Below this are the logos of our co-sponsors: Gender and Sexuality Studies, The Association of Northwestern University Women, Black Studies, and the Block Museum. and below that, there is grass and the stems of plants whose flowers are frames for photographs of the 2025 Garden Party. LtoR: Sylvia and Julie laughing and posing for a picture, Kemi Alabi on the microphone, Hannah Simmons playing viola, Alex and Rebecca posing for a photo, Michaela live-mixing music, two friends at a table talking, Sarah carrying the Shujaa plaque with the crowd visible behind her.

Garden Party June 4th

translucent rainbow shapes overlap around the border of a pale green page. Large green and white letters in the top left read, "Legacies of the Women's Center" In the top right corner this description: current and FORMER LEADERS OF THE CENTER DISCUSS OUR HISTORY AND THE WORK OF WOMEN’S AND GENDER EQUITY CENTERS TODAY". below this text there is a row of four slightly spaced out and tilted right headshots. On the left, June Terpstra, a mature white woman with rosy skin and curly ginger-blonde hair. She is smiling toward the camera and has blue dangle earrings. In the next photo, Njoki Kamau, a dark-skinned mature Black African woman, looks straight ahead. She has short black hair and is wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a taupe turtleneck, and a black blazer. In the third photograph, Sekile Nzinga, a black femme-presenting person with sideswept grey curl and large deep blue earrings looks at the camera. She is wearing a vertical blue and white stripes. In the fourth photograph, a white woman with light brown hair, Sarah Brown, is smiling. She is wearing black with a floral white and red print. Below the photographs in white capital letters it reads, "June Fourth, Breakfast at 9:30, Discussion at ten am. Treinen's forum, Room 1515 of Kresge Hall, 1880 Campus Drive. And then below this in green letters are the identities and tenure of those pictured, Dr. June Terpstra, Director 1986 - 1993; Njoki Kamau, Associate Director 1991 - present; Dr. Sekile Nzinga, Director 2017 - 2021; in conversation with Dr. Sarah Brown, current Director. Introduction by melisa stephen, Program Manager. Along the bottom of the page are the logos of our co-sponsors: Gender and Sexuality Studies, The Association of Northwestern University Women, Black Studies, and the Block Museum.

Legacies of the Women's Center Panel June 4th

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News and Events

What's happening at the Women's Center?

News

students hanging out at the women's center

Northwestern Women’s Center: A hub for student-led activism and community care

May 19, 2025

Northwestern undergraduate Ariel Paul did not know that the Northwestern Women’s Center existed or that it was inclusive of trans people like themself until they went inside the building for the first time last year for the center’s Trans Care Day. 

That day, the center offered free haircuts, so Paul, a Black trans-masculine person, decided to get a lineup, which they had never gotten before. 

Alexis Pauline Gumbs against a purple background

NU Women’s Center hosts Women’s History Month symposium on feminist ecologies of survival

March 5, 2025
from The Daily Northwestern

Events

May
15
2026

Trans Care Day

10:00 AM Women's Center, 2000 Sheridan Rd.
Shower yourself with trans joy! Join us for a day of fun, pampering, & community ahead of Queer Prom! Gender affirming S...
May
20
2026

Happy Birthday Marsha! Film Screening and Collage Workshop

12:00 PM Abbott Hall, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARSHA! - 2018 | 15 min - A film by Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel   Happy Birthday, Marsha! imagines tran...
Jun
2
2026

Feminist Campus Tour

10:00 AM
Meet us at the Arch   Take a literal walk through some of Northwestern’s rich feminist history with Hannah, who will als...