"There is not one single feminist consciousness nor is there one static way for the Women’s Centre to operate.  The role of the Centre is to foster dialogue and debate.  After all we always have unity through diversity" - Thirdspace, April 2000

The women's movement of the 1960's and 70's produced significant changes to the social infrastructure available for women through the development of health clinics, family support services, and advocacy centres. On-campus Women's Centres are one example of the social support services that were established at this time.

During this time, The Women's Action group established itself in 1973. This was an association of women from the university community who worked towards creating both the first women's studies courses at the university and the Women's Centre. The initial purpose of the Women's Centre, as articulated by members of WAG, was to increase women's participation in male professions, to create an abortion council to protect reproductive choice on campus, to disseminate knowledge through the creation of a women's library, and to increase networking among women on campus and women in the greater Victoria community.

In 1980, WAG began lobbying the Students Society Board of Directors for a room in the Student Union Building. A Women's Centre advisory committee was set up and it proposed that a Women's Centre be established to act as a drop-in centre, referral service and library. Its mission was to promote women's equality at all levels of campus life while informing the student body on issues affecting women.
           
The Women's Centre was established in on February 22, 1981 out of the mandate of the Women's Action group (WAG). Once established members of the Women's Centre collective quickly started trying to piece together a framework of action, and an organizational structure.  According to UVic archives, the early documents of the archive collection suggest that the collective experienced a great deal of difficulty navigating the bureaucratic structure of the university while attempting to maintain a non-hierarchal collective structure.

In the early years the Women's Centre was organized around a somewhat limited mandate of tackling pre-defined Women's issues: "Sexism, pornography, Women's studies courses, Violence, and Health". 

While this mandate has changed significantly in the years since it was first written the Centre's mission has remained the same. The women's centre is here; "to be a strong, radical, feminist voice on campus".

The Women's Centre has evolved into an organization with it's own paid staff, practicum students and wonderful volunteers who have collectively contributed thousands of hours to make the Women's Centre a great place to be on campus.

How each collective has mobilized towards this mission has varied greatly, but the vision of the women's centre has also remained the same, "to create social change through political action, education and support of University of Victoria women students".

Acknowledgement:  The Women's Centre Collective would like to acknowledge the land that we are occupying as unceded Indigenous territories. We pay respect WSANEC (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees) and Esquimalt People's of the Coast Salish Nation in solidarity for all people who are being held under occupation. For more information on ways of working towards decolonization as a settler please see IPSWG or No One is Illegal for information and resources. Please do not ask Indigenous or people of color to educate you, rather refer to these resources to educate yourself on the ways you can work towards decolonization and Indigenous Solidarity.