Just in time for International Women’s Week, an intense discussion about the rights of women and minorities has been sparked by-of all things-a fitness program aimed at female students, staff and faculty at U of T’s Scarborough campus.
Starting Tuesday, March 6, UTSC Athletics will provide three 90-minute off-peak time slots in its Cardio Theatre as women-only hours. The move has been under discussion for years, but was finally put into place through the coordination of SCSU VP Students’ and Equity Jenna Hossack and Assistant Director of Athletics Heidi Calder. The time slots of 9-10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, 9-10:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 2-3:30 p.m. on Thursdays were chosen based on student responses collected by Hossack.
Taking into consideration the large population of Muslim students, the predominance of female students on campus (65 per cent of UTSC total population) and comments regarding the Cardio Theatre’s adverse “fishbowl effect” that drew gawkers who bothered exercising women, the Athletics Department installed movable blinds to cover the large windows on either side of the room during the new women-only hours.
However, all it took was a student post on a Facebook group to set off a heated debate on whether or not this move overly accommodates minorities, unnecessarily segregates men and women, and encourages stereotypes about gender and fitness.
Raluca Ulici, a third-year student in biology and psychology, is actively protesting the move as an inconvenience to both men and women, stating that females should not be given such special considerations.
“Women are equal. They are not sacred and should not be ‘protected’ against anything. They should follow the same rules as men do,” Ulici insisted. “This is sexist, discriminatory and it’s turning back time.” Ulici, who is campaigning for a student vote on the matter, claims that a large number of her friends and fellow students are opposed to the women-only hours.
In response to proponents of the program, who argue that women-only hours provide a safe space for students and staff with special concerns over comfort, safety, religion or culture, Ulici states: “If it’s a religious reason, then people have to realize that sometimes not everybody can accommodate a multi-cultural community towards them, and we shouldn’t punish boys for [women’s] religious choices. If it’s a body type thing, girls get judged no matter what and being in a gym puts the same strain as walking on the street.”
Calder slammed Ulici for her opposition to the women-only hours.
“It is ignorant to think this [program] is ethnic- or gender-specific,” she contended. Calder said that UTSC athletics, which is completely funded by students, recognizes the importance of listening to students and bringing in new programs to meet their demands. She also mentioned that U of T’s St. George and Mississauga campuses already have women-only workout hours, meaning UTSC is actually lagging behind. She hopes to extend the fledgling women-only program with more female-specific classes and time slots in future.
Both Hossack and Calder characterize the program as an attempt to serve students who pay athletic fees but are unable to use the athlectic services for various reasons and feel frustrated as a result. Calder said many faculty and staff withdraw their memberships from the center due to feelings of discomfort in a co-ed environment.
One student comment on the Facebook discussion forum may have put the issue in perspective the best: “As a woman, as a Canadian and as a full time student at University of Toronto, I pay for it, I should get it the way I want it…it’s my right,” it proclaimed.
W.O.W.!, a kickoff event for UTSC’s new women-only workout hours, will take place Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. in the UTSC Cardio Theatre during International Women’s Week.
