Get Involved
There are a variety of ways to get involved with the Gender Equity Resource Center, with as much or as little time commitment as you'd like.
For alumnae:
As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the center, which will occur in the academic year 2023-24, we are piecing together GenEq’s long and winding history. We are excited to talk to alumni who were involved in gender justice activism while they were students in the organizations that led to where we are today as a center. If you or someone you know is part of the rich history of gender justice at Cornell, we would love to hear from you.
As part of the anniversary celebration, we will be sharing stories, experiences, and perspectives of alumni on what it was like when they were at Cornell and how their time on campus was shaped by their gender and other intersecting social identities including race, citizenship, sexuality, socioeconomic status or religion. If you'd like to share your story, please reach out to shura.gat@cornell.edu
Please contact Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Gender Equity Resource Center, Shura Gat, if you would like to tell us about your campus involvement with United Sisters, Black Sisters United, Women's Athletic Association, National Organization for Women, The Cornell Women’s Center, or the center’s Executive Board. You can also connect with us on our Instagram @geneq.cornell.
For students:
Visit us
We invite you to stop by GenEq for free snacks and coffee, tea, and hot chocolate and a welcoming study/relaxation space with free printing and good company. Free safer sex supplies, pregnancy tests, menstrual cups, and single-use period products are available whenever the Center is open.
Meet our wonderful student staff to chat about whatever gender equity issue is on your mind or just how your day is going. You can also talk with a professional staff member about a confidential issue.
Follow us on Instagram or join us on Campus Groups
Attend a program
Volunteer as a Friend of GenEq
The Cornell Gender Equity Resource Center is expanding our avenues for connection with students by creating a cohort of “Friends of GenEq.” This program includes a combination of volunteering at center programs and fostering a sense of community and belonging at Cornell among women and nonbinary individuals. This is a unique opportunity for members of the campus community who are committed to engaging with issues of gender equity and empowerment through an intersectional lens to get involved in our important work. Friends will help us with various tasks related to our programs while fostering a sense of connection to the space of GenEq and the inspiring individuals associated with it.
Get involved as a volunteer and advocate by signing up for the Friends of the GenEq listserv by sending an email to GenEq@cornell.edu for more information about upcoming opportunities.
Work with us
Join a student organization
There are numerous student organizations that share and uphold the mission and values of the Gender Equity Resource Center. Check out these organizations for opportunities to get involved in gender justice work on campus.
The Gender Equity Resource Center professional staff works with The Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition (GJAC), ConsentEd, Building Ourselves Through Sisterhood and Service (BOSS), and Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA). Check out CampusGroups to learn more about these and other gender equity-focused student organizations.
Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition (GJAC)
The Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition (GJAC) is a byline-funded student organization committed to justice and advocacy for all genders. We operate out of an intersectional and global lens with a focus on gender-marginalized folks. We aim to encourage meaningful and critical conversations related to the gendered lived experiences of all people. We seek to foster relationships with campus partners in order to support and amplify the work of Cornell social justice organizations through funding, awareness raising, and advocacy. Link to their Campus Groups here.
Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA)
Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service (B.O.S.S.)
Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service (B.O.S.S.) aims to foster healthy and genuine relationships between upperclassmen and underclassmen womxn of color, promote positive social interactions within womxn of color communities, encourage high academic and personal standards, provide access to helpful campus resources, and inspire community involvement and commitment to service. Incoming freshmen are paired with juniors. These pairs will stay together formally for 1 year. Although the program understands the importance of the year for growth and development, matches of sophomores and seniors can be made on a case-by-case basis. For example, a sophomore transfer student may be matched with a senior. We create a variety of programs throughout the year that encourage pairs to bond as well as serve the Cornell and Ithaca community. Link to Campus Groups here.
Les Femmes de Substance
The purpose of Les Femmes de Substance is to foster community and leadership within the Black female population on Cornell’s campus. Through educational experiences and programs, Les Femmes strives to create women of substance, who will make every effort to give back and build up their surrounding communities. Link to Campus Groups here.
Cornell Women’s Leadership Initiative
The Cornell Women’s Leadership Initiative is an undergraduate student organization that aims to empower future women leaders across Cornell’s campus. Together, we strive to establish a culture uplifting and inspiring all women in leadership efforts throughout Cornell and beyond. Link to Campus Groups here.
Women of Color Coalition
The Women of Color Coalition will be recognized as a key organization at Cornell University that supports women of color, advocates against oppression, and addresses issues through an intersectional lens. Link to Campus Groups here.
Haven
Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union seeks to enrich Cornell University by supporting its diverse array of sexual and gender identities and expressions. Through education, outreach, and service, we promote understanding and the development of inclusive communities. Haven serves as an administrative umbrella for most of the undergraduate (though generally open to graduate and professional students as well) student organizations involved in the support and outreach to LGBTQ students at Cornell. Haven provides a vehicle for these groups to secure funding and on-going training, and consultation with professional staff. Haven collaborates with other Cornell groups to address the social support needs of students. Link to Campus Groups here.
International Students Union (ISU)
The recently rechristened International Students Union (ISU), previously the International Students Board (ISB) is an organization of students from a diverse background committed to promoting dialogue and awareness about world events, cultures and issues. We fulfill this goal through the ISU's original events and the funding of student organizations, as well as assisting in the planning and execution of their events. The ISU believes that the university environment offers a unique opportunity for the interaction of ideas and opinions. The prestige and resources of Cornell University allow us to plan major events and to hear from influential speakers, and we are committed to fulfilling this potential. Further, the ISU encourages all student groups to approach the Board with ideas and suggestions concerning events or speakers they would like to see on campus. The International Students Union is also committed to student advocacy, focusing on issues that affect international and diverse students. These projects can be in response to long-term concerns, current global events, or changes in policies by the university's administration. The ISU does not take any political stance on issues but we support the right of student organizations to present these issues to the Cornell Community. Link to Campus Groups here.
MECA
MECA’s mission is to provide educational, cultural and religious services to the Cornell community and its surrounding communities in order to promote an Islamic environment and an awareness of Islam. It’s goal is to increase the reach of our educational, cultural and religious services to Muslims on campus, inform the broader Cornell community and its surrounding communities about the beauty of Islam, and create and promote a safe and inclusive Islamic environment on and off-campus. Link to Campus Groups here.
Hillel
Get support
If you have an idea for a resource — on or off-campus — that we should include and which is not listed here, please email us at GenEq@cornell.edu