Women's and Gender Studies

In This Section

The minor in Women’s Studies was established in 1993, with the major welcoming students in 2005 as the program grew into Women’s and Gender Studies.  For the past 25 years, Women’s and Gender Studies has invited students and faculty to question all suppositions, givens, and assumptions about the ideas and notions surrounding gender and sexuality.  Committed to Saint Mary’s Liberal Arts and Catholic Lasallian tradition, the program asks the community to imagine what an inclusive and just society might look like and engages everyone in making the ideal of equality and social justice a reality.  We are proud to say that as we celebrate a quarter century on campus, our graduates have been at the forefront of campus student movements and brought Saint Mary’s a little closer to achieving just that dream!

What is Women's and Gender Studies?

WaGS is an academic field of study that focuses on the experiences of women and the study of gender identity as categories of analysis from multiple perspectives. That is, the field is interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary, allowing Saint Mary's students to take courses from different departments but focused on women and gender. What unifies the classes is that students critique societal norms and explore new ways of thinking about sex and gender, taking into account race, class, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and other social categories across history and geography.

Women's and Gender Studies is a member of the National Women's Studies Association; here is their post-election statement.

NATIONAL WOMEN'S STUDIES ASSOCIATION Post-Election Statement