News & Events

Everyone has a different idea of what makes a man.

More than 300 people will come up with their own ideas Feb. 11 at the What Makes a Man 2012 White Ribbon Conference, in ENG 103 in the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre. This is the second annual conference hosted by the Ryerson White Ribbon Campaign, a coalition of students, faculty and staff that looks to men to help end violence against women. The conference will be an all-day discussion focused on how gender impacts everyday experiences and realities.

The lineup of speakers includes SlutWalk movement co-founder Heather Jarvis along with her team Colleen Westendorf and Raisa Bhuiyan; Kim Crosby, co-director of The People Project, an LGBT youth outreach arts and leadership organization; Derek Forgie, founder and chair of Heterosexuals for Same Sex Equality; and Alan Sears, sociology professor. Spoken word poet Shihan is set to perform at the end.

The Ryerson Engineering Student Society and feminist magazine, McClung’s, will be honoured at the conference for their work in furthering a gender-equitable campus.

Jeff Perera, co-chairperson of the Ryerson White Ribbon Campaign, is curator of the What Makes a Man Conference.

“This conference is meant to enforce messages that men don’t always have to be so tough,” Perera said. “The point is to start a dialogue in a respectful way about heavy topics that are engaging and inviting. Each talk is small conversation about issues that need to be addressed.”

Heather Jarvis is one of the keynote speakers. She’s co-founder of SlutWalk, an April 2011 protest that grew out of a Toronto police officer’s comments about how women should avoid dressing provocatively to prevent sexual assault. Her talk will centre on what makes a man an ally and what proactive things people can do to be allies to other identities, individuals and communities. Jarvis will also discuss harmful issues that people need to avoid such as non-consensual interactions, slut-shaming and victim-blaming. While the SlutWalk movement has become an international phenomenon, Jarvis wants to focus on collaborating with local partnerships to further strengthen the protest in Toronto.

“Conferences are a great space to dialogue and make these conversations happen. People don’t talk about consent – why not? Participating in What Makes a Man opens up exposure for us to get these issues on the table,” Jarvis said. “These conversations can teach people how to understand and respect each other more. We need to talk about these things to understand where they come from and how to create better, safer communities.”

For more information about the conference, visit http://whatmakesaman2012.wordpress.com/.