Reproductive Justice with Loretta Ross

On Thursday, January 16th, 2020, the Women’s Community Center hosted an event entitled “Reproductive Justice with Loretta Ross.” The event consisted of a 90-minute lecture and Q&A over dinner with Professor Loretta Ross, lifelong activist and co-creator of the term “reproductive justice.” Reproductive justice is a framework that outlines each individual’s right to have a child, not have a child, and parent their children in safe and healthy environments. Over the course of her talk, Professor Ross discussed the origins of reproductive justice, its connection to human rights, and current reproductive health and social justice issues. Professor Ross told the story of how she co-created the term “reproductive justice” with a group of 12 Black women at a 1994 conference after a representative from the Democratic party encouraged support for a healthcare reform plan that left out reproductive healthcare.

“We were frustrated that fighting for abortion rights was always isolated from all of the other social justice issues,” Ross explained. Professor Ross described reproductive justice as a “shifting lens” framework, because it can be widely applied to include the specific needs of many groups. While the term was originally used to describe the human rights and reproductive health needs of Black women, Ross noted how reproductive justice has evolved to encompass immigration issues, Indigenous self-determination, LGBTQIA+ rights, and more, as other groups have applied their needs to the framework.

There were 75 students, staff, faculty, and community members in attendance. This event was organized by Ginger Gramson, Health and Wellness Coordinator 19-20, and Dejah Carter, Assistant Director of the Women’s Community Center. Co-sponsors included:

The Clayman Institute

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Human Biology

Queer Student Resources

Black Community Services Center

Stanford If/When/How

The History Department

Institutional Access and Equity

Stanford Women in Politics

Planned Parenthood Generation Action

First-Gen Low-Income Partnership

Speakers Bureau

El Centro Chicano y Latino

Office of Religious Life

Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership

African and African-American Studies

Womxn’s Coalition

Read more about the event here from the Stanford Daily.

Event Recap: Feminist Discussions: Stanford’s Trans History

On Wednesday November 7th from 5:30-7pm the second Feminist Discussion Night of the year took place in the WCC, this time focusing on Stanford’s transgender history. The event opened with a presentation from Phoebe Peter Oathout about the history and then segwayed into an open discussion about how this history fit into today’s discourse, especially the recent Trump Administration’s announcement.

Here are a few interesting things that came up:

• Stanford’s Gender Dysphoria Program, founded in the 1960s, helped set many of the legal rules that are still in place today for transgender medical care.
• Early transgender medical care focused on the “wrong body narrative” as an explanation for the phenomena.
• Many students on campus, especially non-binary, feel erased by this history.
• Many of the US’ best transgender thinkers and artists have some association with Stanford.

Attached below are the event’s flyer and a photo taken from the event of Oathout speaking. Also, here is a link to a Stanford Daily article discussing the event.

Learn more about our work & upcoming events at wcc.stanford.edu

Event Recap – Sexual Assault Prevention & Response at Stanford

Event Recap – Sexual Assault Prevention & Response at Stanford

Title IX, SARA, & CST Info Session and Q&A

Written by Gillian Dee, WCC Intern

There is a dizzying amount of resources thrown at you when you get to Stanford. Three very important resources, however, deserve a second mention.  On November 2nd, we were fortunate enough to have representatives from the Office of Sexual Assault and Relationship Abuse Education and Response (SARA), The Confidential Support Team, and the Title IX Office come speak at the Women’s Community Center. The representatives cleared up the confusion surrounding the services they each provide.  These are all offices that respond to sexual assault, each in their own way. Here is a breakdown of what each office does and a possible roadmap to guide where you should go if you need this support.

A possible first step if you need help:

1)Confidential Support Team

This service provides a range of supportive services and is completely confidential.  The office is staffed by professional therapists.  They have a 24/7 hotline ((650) 725-9955), and help all students ranging from victims to alleged perpetrators to a victim’s support system.

Kingscote Gardens (2nd Floor)

419 Lagunita Drive

Stanford, CA 94305-8231

CTS Hotline: Main office: (650) 736-6933; Hotline: (650) 725-9955

https://vaden.stanford.edu/get-help-now/sexual-assault

2) Title IX

This office works to facilitate the needs of students. It addresses Title IX concerns involving all students, making sure university programs/activities are free of harassment and violence based on sex/gender. They offer several services: investigations, accommodations (physical + educational), outreach and training. This organization is neutral and is not an advocate. If you want to report your assault to Stanford, this office will help you do that.

Kingscote Gardens (2nd Floor)

419 Lagunita Drive

Stanford, CA 94305-8231

Phone:

650-497-4955

titleix@stanford.edu

3) SARA Office

This office focuses on education, expression, and caring relationships.  They offer holistic healing opportunities to survivors and are responsible for the Beyond Sex Ed during NSO and other such education programs.  This is a great place to get involved on campus if you are passionate about these issues as well.  This center is made for and by students.

Kingscote Gardens (Suite 220)

419 Lagunita Drive

Stanford, CA 94305

Phone:

650-725-1056

saraoffice@stanford.edu

All three offices are staffed by professionals working to help the Stanford Community.  If you need any of these services they are all located at Kingscote Gardens, in one building.

Here are some more resources:

https://sexualrespect.stanford.edu

https://sexualviolencesupport.stanford.edu

https://sexualrespect.stanford.edu/advisory-committee-on-sexual-assault-policies-and-practices/

https://stanford.callistocampus.org/

Mentoring 101

It was wonderful to have BEAM representatives Annie Vleck and Ahmad Wright with us at the WCC for our Mentoring 101 event! They offered valuable insight into finding and maintaining a connection with a mentor. Here is some of the advice they shared:

1. Finding the right mentor

Each person’s “right” mentor varies! Depending on what you’re looking for, a mentor may look or act in different ways. Think about what you are looking for, including the background of your potential mentor and your goals for your relationship with that mentor, and then try to outline 5 words to describe your ideal mentor. There are also numerous resources to find mentors, among which include the Stanford Alumni Mentoring Program, LinkedIn, internships/jobs, and the Alumni directory, all of which BEAM can assist you on. There are also different types of mentors someone might have at any given moment: there’s the 1-year-from-now mentor, or someone who is in a position that you’d like to be in ~12 months from now; there’s the 5-years-from-now mentor, and even a 10+-years-from-now mentor. The questions you might have for each of these types of mentors are different, and that’s good!

2. Making the ask + cultivating conversation

You don’t have to approach someone out of the blue and ask them formally to be your mentor! Oftentimes, finding a mentor can be very informal. If you have already met someone (a teacher or a recruiter), establishing a connection can be as simple as inviting your potential mentor to a follow-up meeting, coffee, or lunch. Set goals and expectations and be upfront with what you’re hoping they can help with. Over time, the trust that a mentor and mentee build can allow emotional closeness through being vulnerable. Remember, mentors want to help you succeed!

3. Maintaining the connection

Once you’ve found someone you’d like to get to know better, maintain your connection! Mentorship is a two-way street, so do not assume your mentor will drive the process. Stay in touch, be eager to learn, show gratitude, and look for knowledge–not validation! Even a quarterly/annual email to thank them and give a small update into whats happening in your life can work!

 

Mentorship can be a valuable learning resource for anyone, and we hope that these tips will guide you on your search. BEAM is also open for students looking for help finding a mentor. See https://beam.stanford.edu/students for more info!

 

Navigating Non-Profit Careers

We were honored to have two panelists come speak at the WCC on Monday about their experiences working at non-profits. Our first panelist was Katrina Logan, JD, an immigration attorney at Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), which is a non-profit specializing in housing, civil litigation, and immigration issues. Our second panelist was Alexis Paza, who works as a Tides Community Catalyzer and helps non-profits collaborate and develop relationships between each other. Alexis and Katrina both gave valuable insight into key parts of navigating non-profit careers.

Finding the right non-profit

One point emphasized was the importance of finding a non-profit that fit well, and seeking additional opportunities to either move up or move on. As Alexis described, “Trust when opportunities fall into your lap, say yes, and trust that one day you’ll look back and make sense of it.” She describe a certain instinct that she felt most people would have when a position just wasn’t the right fit, but also to trust that each position had something to learn from. Katrina echoed this, saying that it may seem there are limited jobs, but there are also indeed many positions opening.

From the get-go there are three main things to look for when finding the right non-profit to work with: mission fit, position fit, and culture fit. Does their mission and theory of change excite you? Do you think they have a good approach to solve the issue at hand? If so, you may have found a mission fit with this non-profit. Do you like what you’ll be doing there? Even though you might not enjoy every task, do you enjoy the day-to-day work? That’s position fit. And of course, do you enjoy working with folks in that position? Co-workers can make or break a positive experience at work. It’s important to know your own needs so that you can form strong connections with co-workers over the meaningful work you’re all doing.

A catalyst into a non-profit career

Both Katrina and Alexis had formative life experiences that either furthered their passion for their jobs, or helped them choose their current jobs. For example, Alexis described how she drove one of her clients home, only to discover the client lived far away from the city in horrendous conditions. This incident made her more determined to help enact social change. In Katrina’s case, Katrina watched as her mother had to navigate a divorce by herself when Katrina was a child. English was her mother’s second language, and she consequently had a very tough time navigating the legal system. However, Katrina also understood the pressure to go into a high-paying job such as law in order to support one’s family. As she said, “If you need to make money to support your family, there’s nothing wrong with going to law school to make money,” adding that what actually mattered was figuring out what to do with a law degree in a way that was meaningful.

“Figure out what gets you out of bed”

Lastly, although Katrina and Alexis both worked in non-profits, they both mentioned that anyone from any level could enact change. For example, someone more interested in fixing social problems using business and entrepreneurship could accomplish impact by working at a for-profit social capital company. There are a lot of ways to tackle issues within the world–what matters is finding something that truly motivates you and gets you out of bed each morning.

 

Bridging Medicine & Social Impact

We truly enjoyed hosting Joi Jackson-Morgan, the Deputy Director at the 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic, and Dr. Maya Adam, a former professional ballerina who is now is a pediatrician at Stanford University School of Medicine and the founder of the non-profit Just Cook For Kids, for our latest Women at Work event, Bridging Medicine and Social Impact.

Here are some key takeaways from the event.

Unexpected events can open new doors

Our panelists described how events in their lives shaped and helped determine their careers today. Joi described the car accident that forced her to give up her dream of medical school at the time, which led to her to apply for a research position at a youth clinic, 3rd Street, in her own community. Today she is the executive director at 3rd Street. Dr. Adam described how one of her children got very sick a few years ago. She realized how her family had to change their lifestyle and the way they ate. This in turn was a source of inspiration for founding the non-profit Just Cook For Kids. Both Joi and Dr. Adam are still dreaming: Joi hopes to one day become a pediatrician; Dr. Adam is traveling for work and finding new experiences everywhere.

Finding the passion for a project is key

One of the points the panelists highlighted was the importance of finding social impact projects that truly motivated them. When looking at the community 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic served, Joi saw a need for teens to engage each other in health topics. Motivated by this, Joi looked for ways to help, including creating a peer health educators program at her youth clinic to encourage youth engagement and awareness. Dr. Adam further elaborated upon this as she said, “find a community/cause you really care about and find out what you can do realistically to move a need from A to B.” Her passion for nutrition has spawned numerous projects, including online courses and a mobile app.

Focusing on the goal

Dr. Adam and Joi both emphasized the importance of determination and staying focused on the “big picture” that their jobs entailed. For example, Dr. Adam described how she often worried people would judge her for “oversimplifying” concepts while teaching, but ultimately justified it knowing that she valued good teaching above all else. Joi realized through her job that it was more effective and valuable to build programs that actually helped her community, rather than “chasing money.” As she said, “[There’s a] fearlessness knowing you’re the doing the right thing and doing it for the people you’re serving.”

 

The Art of Negotiation Workshop

It was wonderful having the founder of MissCEO and Stanford University alumna, Nita Kaushal, at the WCC for our “Art of Negotiation” event! This is the second year that the Women at Work program has hosted this type of workshop.

With her experience founding an organization that empowers young women to develop their leadership skills, Nita offered valuable insight into how to approach negotiating salaries. Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

 

Don’t be afraid to ask.

Negotiating is all about asking, and asking takes courage. However, Nita emphasized that companies will not take away an offer simply because you asked for more–after all, they put in the effort to decide they wanted to work with you when they extended an offer.

Overthinking can be a large reason why we are afraid to ask, often leading to fears of rejection, overvaluing yourself, or spoiling the relationship. It’s important to understand that we can ease our anxiety about negotiation realizing that the worst thing that can happen is that the company says no, they won’t give you the higher salary.  

Know your worth.

It’s also important to know your own worth, both because it gives you the confidence to ask for more and because it gives your leverage with the company. Don’t give away all your power by eagerly saying “Yes!” to the first offer they make. You have the power to negotiate, no matter how tantalizing their first offer may be! You can determine your market value from a number of factors, including:

• Current salary
• Years of experience (INCLUDING academics)
• Market value of your expertise and knowledge
• Outstanding offers
• Salary ranges for similar positions (generic)
• How invaluable or difficult to replace you are

Utilize your leverage appropriately and professionally! However, remember that negotiating your worth is a continuous process throughout your career. Negotiating your entry salary is just the beginning–you need to be on and ready to ask for what you want all the time. Keep asking and keep putting yourself in a power position for the rest of your career.

Do your homework.

Before going into the salary negotiation, make sure to do your homework. Look up similar job openings online to get a sense of salary ranges. Nita recommends looking at Paysa, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Quora, among other options. Offline, you can reach out to folks in your network including other recruiters and hiring managers, and former interns in your industry.

During the interview try to get a sense of the following, all of which may help influence your decision to join or not to join the company:

• Type of employer/budget
• Candidate pool
• Position requirements (education, experience, etc)
• Potential for promotion
• Employer’s need

Avoid presenting numbers first.

When it comes time for the Desired Salary Discussion, avoid being the one to present salary numbers first. If pressured, respond with something similar to the following:

“I’m sure you’ll make a fair offer.”

“I want to ensure this opportunity is the right fit before discussing the numbers, which I’m sure will work out well for the both of us.”

If forced, aim high.

Negotiate with the Right Party

When having the salary discussion, talk about the offer directly with the decision maker. This isn’t always the recruiter. Often, the hiring manager for the team will have more room to negotiate, which can work in your favor!

Practice phrasing.

Lastly, one of the most important parts of negotiating is to phrase things positively, professionally, and in an “I win/you win” manner. For example, if you get an offer- that means they REALLY want you! Don’t accept the offer right away when they present it to you. Instead say:

“Thank you, I’m so pleased to have an offer, especially since I admire [something about the company] so much… I’ll just need some time to consider the details. I’m evaluating some other options and want to make sure I make the best decision. Can I get back to you by [date]?”

This format is great, since it respects the recruiter or hiring manager’s time while not giving away your cards.

Some other examples of phrasing are below:

“I have an equivalent offer from another company, but as we discussed, it seems as though I would make a great fit here. Are you able to do any better to simplify this decision for me?”

“I’m excited for the offer, but company B is offering me $X- I don’t want to get you guys into a bidding war, but I love the team/ environment/ opportunity here and would really prefer to work for you, so if you can match, I’ll be glad to accept.”

Don’t forget to practice phrasing! Ask your friends to help you stage scenarios for your to practice your negotiation skills.

How to Close

Accept the counter if it feels right! Make sure to utilize your leverage appropriately and professionally at all times.

Sometimes, the offer won’t work out. In those cases, Nita recommends thanking the recruiter and hiring manager and closing with the following:

“I appreciate what you were able to do, it seems that Company A is a better career move for me at this point – I apologize, thank you for the opportunity, and maybe, I’ll work with you sometime in the future.”

 

Keeping all of these recommendations in mind, we hope that you feel more confident about negotiating your way towards the best possible offer. Happy negotiating!

 

Self Care and Contemplation Space Grand Opening

On Friday, May 20 the WCC had the Grand Opening of the new Self Care and Contemplation Space! The opening featured a guided meditation led by Ph.D student Victoria Chang, massages by Serge from Rejuv at Work, and a self care workshop by Priscila Garcia from the Haas Center. Participants also drew and made crafts.

The SCCC is meant to promote balance and rejuvenation for all members of the WCC community. It is a safe space that one can enter with the intent to care for oneself and fulfill one’s emotional needs, either in solitude or with companions. As such, the space is equipped with various items including books, snacks, seashells, pillows, and various other items that promote comfort or reflection. For the WCC community of academics, activists… humans, the SCCC is a much-needed oasis to relieve stress and invigorate the spirit – the source of our creativity and resilience.  

On Thursday from 2:15 to 4:15 there will be workshop in the SCCS to make body creams with Ashley Mills! There will also be massages by Serge from Rejuv at Work.

– Kathryn Rydberg ’19 and Maya Odei ’16

Herstory of Activism at Stanford

Past and present activism at Stanford was discussed at an event on April 14, which included presentations from University Archivists Jenny Johnson and Josh Schneider as well as a panel featuring Gina Hernandez, Cindy Ng, and Karen Biestman. Jenny Johnson spoke about the history of Women at Stanford, from the first sororities on campus, early women’s sports, and the longstanding limit on the number of women that could enroll at one time. Josh Schneider presented selections from the University Archives showing Social Justice at Stanford, including a 1968 event at which African-American students expressed their frustration at the non-white experience of Stanford following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., on-campus protests of the Vietnam War, and the formation of cultural centers. Cindy Ng, the Director of A3C, discussed the infrastructure of community centers at Stanford and the student group Concerned Students for Asian-American Studies that demonstrated for an Asian-American Studies program in 1994. Karen Biestman is the Associate Dean and Director of the Native American Cultural Center; she answered questions about activism at Stanford vs. activism at Berkeley, facilitating communication between the administration and students, and the meaning of diversity in higher education. Gina Hernandez was a student activist involved in the 1989 takeover of the president’s office over minority representation at Stanford. Posted by Kathryn Rydberg, WCC

krydberg@stanford.edu

You Auto Know: An Auto Workshop

A number of people came out to the engineering quad on April 9 for an auto repair workshop as part of Herstory Month. Participants learned how to change a car’s oil, jumpstart a car, how a car engine functions, and more! 

Kathryn Rydberg ’19 (krydberg@stanford.edu)