Exploring Activism: A Journey With Women-Identified Student Activists at Laurier Brantford and How Activism Can Have a Positive Impact on Campus Culture

Feminist student activism at Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford campus has changed and progressed over the last decade. Currently, woman-identified feminist students are actively fighting to end rape culture on campus by educating students on feminism, consent, and the negative impacts of a rape culture. This research study highlights the challenges and barriers faced by activists as they work within an institution that presents patriarchal, heternormative, and racist ideals. This research study utilized qualitative research methods to interview seven woman-identified feminist student activists from Laurier Brantford, consisting of current, graduating and graduated students. Each participant was interviewed about their experience as a self-identified woman feminist activist at Laurier Brantford, as well as their own feminist journeys. The results of this research present the importance of feminist student activism at Laurier Brantford and how it is able to shape campus culture through cultivating a strong community, and educating students on campus. In addition, this research illustrates the challenges of feminist student activism that resulted from working within a patriarchal bureaucratic institution. Additionally, this research explores the impact systemic barriers had on participants. However, regardless of struggles all seven participants agreed that feminist activism is important to Laurier Brantford as it helps to provide students with a positive campus culture