2016-2017 Season
Forums are held on the second Mondays of September, November, January, March, and May
at the Ventura County Community Foundation, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA
from 5:15-7:00 pm:
5:15-5:40 Registration/Networking
5:40-5:50 Introductions and announcements
5:50-7:00 Program
After each forum, members are welcome to stay for a steering committee meeting from 7:00-8:00.
SEPTEMBER 2016 / FEMINISM TODAY
Dr. Julia Balén, CSUCI, Assistant Professor of English; Athena Quddus, Vice President of Gay Straight Alliance, President of Save the Children, and Editor in Chief of The Stinger student-run newspaper at ACHS; and Samantha Paul, ACHS President of Junior Statesmen of America guided us in an intergenerational discussion of the evolution of feminism over the last century, what it means to us today, why people might be resistant to associating with "the F word," and how we can draw people to the overall cause of gender equality.
NOVEMBER 2016 / WOMEN & MENTAL HEALTH
Luis Tovar, Ethnic Services Manager, Ventura County Behavioral Health provided an overview of mental illness and how it presents differently in women than in men. He provided information needed to understand mental illness and the available resources to address it.
JANUARY 2017 / DEFINING GENDER: Viewing Gender from an LGBTQ+ Perspective
Presenters Anne Blakeley, President of Trans Alliance Ventura, Diversity Collective board member and Tasha Stuart-Shuman, President of ACHS Gay-Straight Alliance, discussed the different types of gender identities and spoke about their own experiences with gender.
MARCH 2017 / IMMIGRATION: Where are we now?
Immigration attorney Vanessa Frank offered a summary of the current state of immigration law affecting working families in Ventura County as well as an update on the efforts in the county and beyond to develop laws and policies to protect immigrants and ensure human rights for all are respected.
MAY 2017 / RAISING FEMINIST BOYS
Kandee Kosier, one of the editors of Feminist Parenting, gave a critical examination of a range of issues facing boys today. Health, sexuality, violence, media, and masculinity were discussed along with practices that aim to encourage boys to actively embrace the benefits of gender equality.