Victoria Women's Movement
Archives
Fonds, Q-Z
 

AR326

Raging Grannies of Victoria

Raging Grannies of Victoria fonds.

1985-2000.

30 cm of textual records. -- 196 photographs.

The Raging Grannies originated in Victoria BC in 1987 by a group of peace activists. Since that time, other groups have been established across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Through their songwriting, street theatre, political satire and funny costumes, the Raging Grannies have become well known for exposing environmental and social issues to the public. As a group of women, many of whom are grandmothers, their concern for having a safe world for future generations is what has helped motivate them to become an astounding instrument of social protest.

The fonds consists of correspondence, 1993-1999; minutes, 1995-1999; articles, 1989-2000; brochures, 1999; manuscript, "Singing in the Rain," n.d.; oral history interview, n.d.; and photographs, 1987-1999.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donation.
Inventory available with series and file level control

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AR119

Status of Women Action Group. Victoria Branch

Victoria Status of Women Action Group fonds.

1972-1995.

93 cm of textual records.

The Victoria chapter of Status of Women Action Group (SWAG) was formed in 1971 in response to the 1970 Report of the Royal Commission of the Status of Women. SWAG is a feminist organization that promotes economic, political and social equality and freedom for women. It is a non-profit society with several committees working on specific issues of concern to women. The group is an active member of the BC and Yukon Association of Women's Centres and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.

The fonds consists of office logs, a daily record of events, 1972-1992; Downtown Women's Place Project file, 1992-1993; posters, 1987-1994; pamphlets, 1972, 1987, 1990; and several newsletters: Victoria Status of Women News, 1972-1990; Times Feminist, 1991-1995; Waves, 1978-79; and Women's Centre and Transition House News, 1974.

Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Donation.
Inventory available with file list control.

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AR225

University of Victoria (B.C.). Women's Centre

University of Victoria Women's Centre fonds.

1972-2000.

50 cm of textual records.

The University of Victoria Women's Centre was established in 1981 in the Student Union Building subsequent to the Women's Action Group lobbying of the Student Society Women's Centre be a referral service, a drop-in centre, and library. Additional activities include lobbying, self-defence workshops, political skills workshops, speakers, and other events. The Centre is run by the Women's Collective and members give input on issues of health, social services, economic equality, international women, post-secondary education, and feminist theory. In 1982 the Collective began the student feminist newspaper The Emily. The Centre has been affiliated with many groups including: the Canadian Federation of Students Women's Caucus,the Victoria Status of Women's Action Group, and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.

The fonds consists of office files and include budget, minutes, agendas, communication logs, policy files, posters and Women's Centre history. Also included are subject files which entail educational and activist undertakings relating to rallys, eating disorders, date rape, violence against women, women's rights, December 6 memorial vigil and racism.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donation.
Inventory available.

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AR175

University Women's Club. Victoria Branch

University Women's Club of Victoria fonds.

1908-1993.

2.4 m of textual records (8 boxes).
356 photographs.

The University Women's Club of Victoria was established in Victoria, BC in 1908 by women who were university graduates and devoted to concerns of their time, such as adequate education and representation in decisions which would influence women's lives.

The fonds consists of constitution and bylaws, minutes, committee recores, presidents' files, financial records, special events files, newsletters and programs, ephemera, reference material and membership records.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donated by club in 1994.
Inventory available with file level control.
Access restricted to the last 10 years of menmbership records.

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AR189

Victoria Rape / Assault Centre

Victoria Rape / Assault Centre fonds.

1977-1981.

11 cm of textual material ; 20 photographs: prints ; col.

The Victoria Rape/Assault Centre [also called the Rape Relief Centre] was established by a group of women in 1975. It was a self-funded collective to provide rape crisis advocacy in order to help women establish and increase control over their lives, to enquire into the causes of sexual violence, to raise awareness that rape, including date rape, and assault, including "Peeping Tom" behaviour, were serious crimes.

The Centre was housed at 1947 Cook Street (the building has since been demolished) and initially had two staff members. The Centre's organizational structure developed to that of a Board, with staff and volunteer groups - and committees which reflected this structure - to a horizontal collective. 

In 1977 the Victoria Rape Relief Society received a Local Initiatives Program grant from the federal government to produce a booklet called Rape, which was written over 6 months by volunteers and staff. Other Centre activities included presentations to high school students, women's self defense workshops and courses, on-call advocates for women who had been raped or assaulted, work with the police on development of inter-related procedures to assist rape survivors and improve the chance of charges being pressed, and improvements to hospital procedures for examination of survivors and collection of evidence. The Victoria Centre formed a collation with other British Columbia rape centres and pooled funding applications, mostly to the province. The Centre also participated in the formation of the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres and hosted a 2-day national conference in 1978.

The Centre closed in 1982. The Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre opened in 1983 with the assistance of government funding and continues to operate at 620 View Street as a non-profit society.

The fonds consists of minutes, a small pamphlet collection, the booklet Rape, several copies of a lesbian newsletter, Rag, 20 colour photographs of street theatre events and rehersals, and miscellaneous material. Chapters in the booklet Rape consist of: Introduction; Myths and Realities; Self-defense; What to do if you're raped: medical concerns, legal concerns; What are rape relief centres?; and a reference section, with notes, bibliography, and a list of schools of self-defense.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donated by members of the Centre in 1996 and 2010.

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AR190

Victoria Women's Building Society

Victoria Women's Building Society fonds.

1979-1985, 1993-1995.

52 cm of textual records.
1 photograph : col.

The Society was established in 1981 under the name, Women's Building of Victoria Society. Its four-fold purpose was: to acquire and manage a non-profit building to house services and businesses run by and for women; to be a creative and educational force for change in women's lives; and to make an economic and social contribution to the community of women in the Victoria area. The Society folded in 1985, but was restablished from 1994-96 under the name, Victoria Women's Building Society. The group was based on the model of the Alexandra Club, which was founded in Victoria as a literary society and social club about 1900.

The fonds consists of newsletters, announcements and invitations, constitutions, corresponsdence, reports, research, VWBS history, and minutes.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donated by the society in 1995.

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AR191

Victoria Women's Centre

Victoria Women's Centre fonds.

1975.

7 cm of textual records.
3 photographs : b&w.

The Victoria Women's Centre sponsored a conference to gather together women throughout BC and the Yukon who were actively working in Women's Centres or planning a centre in their community. The conference was held at Thunderbird Y Camp in Sooke, 27-30 Sept 1975.

The fonds consists of correspondence and workshop handouts relating to the conference, and newspaper clippings and photographs of the 1975 International Women's Day March in Victoria.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donated in 1995.

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AR192

Voice of Women. Victoria Branch

Victoria Voice of Women fonds.

1966-1992.

1.2 m of textual records.

The national organization was established in 1960 to protest against war or the threat of war as the decisive method of exercising power, to unite women in concern for the future of the world, and to help promote peaceful negotiations between world powers. The Victoria branch was established ca 1966.

The fonds consists of subject files containing reports, research and clippings; correspondence, 1983-1992; minutes, 1989-1992; and reports, 1984-1987.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donated by the society in 1995.
Inventory available with file level control.

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AR197

Women Against Pornography. Victoria Branch

Women Against Pornography fonds.

1982-1985.

39 cm of textual records.

Women Against Pronography (Victoria) was a feminist collective that was active in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. The group believed that pornography was anti-woman hate literature that promoted female submission and degradation through the glorification of male domination. The group worked to defend the rights and dignity of all women by exposing the myths surrounding pornography and prostitution. The collective was opposed to depictions of sexual acts promoting male dominance and sexual aggression, not depicitons of explicit sex that celebrated human sexuality. It worked toward the elimination of pornography through education, public awareness and grassroots activism.

The fonds consists of correspondence, "Bad Trick Sheet" newsletters, reports, clippings, petitions, questionnaires, and a "Women as Animials" file depicting women in advertising. Files arranged in alphabetical order by title. The fonds includes a script for a slide show entitled, "Erotica: a feminist exploration."

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donation.
Accession file list available.

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AR348

Women for Women in Afghanistan. Victoria Branch

Women for Women in Afghanistan fonds.

1999-2000.

1 folder. -- 2 photographs : col print.

Women for Women in Afghanistan is a Canadian solidarity group committed to raising awareness to the plight of women in Afghanistan. The goals of the group are to support empowerment efforts of women in Afghanistan and the refugee camps in Pakistan; and to raise awareness in Canada of human rights violations.

The fonds consists of educational reports, photographs, and a program for a dinner held March 9, 2000 in conjunction with the Status of Women Action Group.

Title based on contents of fonds.
Donation.

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