How do societal norms and stereotypes impact how men and women are treated at the VU? How does the education system contribute to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes and inequality? In what ways can individuals and the organization actively work towards achieving gender equality?

We cordially invite you to the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals Library. The first event in the upcoming meeting series will be dedicated to Gender Equality, SDG 5.

The Sustainable Development Goals Library is a thematic collection of books dedicated to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this project, the VU Library contributes to SDGs by creating space for books and conversations related to the topic and making (scientific) literature on subjects more accessible and visible at the VU campus.

During the event, we will look at gender equality from different angels; while Renée-Andrée Koornstra will talk about Gender Equality at the VU nowadays and the goals for the future, Pieta van Beek will put things into historical perspective by talking about Anna Maria van Schurman (1636), the first female university student in the Netherlands. The manuscripts by Anna Maria van Schurman owned by the VU Library, take one into seventeenth-century discussions of the equality of men and women and their appropriate roles in society.

Bringing together the present and the past is meant to help us take a broader view of gender equality and to inspire us to move towards a more just and resilient world together.

Agenda

12:00 - 12:10 Grab your lunch and get comfortable

12:10 - 12:20 Renée-Andrée Koornstra: Gender Equality at the VU, the opening speech

12:20 - 12:30 VU Library, WO&MEN@VU, Sustainability office, Women in STEM: presenting ongoing initiatives

12:30 - 13:10 Pieta van Beek: Anna Maria van Schurman (1636), the first female university student, and her(international) influence

13:10 - 13:20 Q&A

13:20 - 13:30 Informal networking, sharing ideas and experiences 

What to expect?

SDG Library Launch will feature a speech about Gender Equality at the VU by Renée-Andrée Koornstra and a lecture about Anna Maria van Schurman, the first female student in Europe by Pieta van Beek. There will be a Q&A after the lecture. Don't miss the free lunch at the beginning of the event! Use the registration form at the bottom to indicate your dietary restrictions.

Location

The new SDG Library is located on the 1st floor of the main building (Hoofdgebouw), behind the University Library desk, location 1C-02. The SDG library room itself does not have a number yet.

Who should attend?

The new SDG Library wants to bring together everyone at the VU who is interested in the topic of gender equality; all VU employees and students are most welcome.

About WO&MEN @ VU

This event is a collaboration between VU Library and the WO&MEN network. WO&MEN is a network of and for VU employees dedicated to improving gender equality at VU. Approximately every two months we publish a newsletter. In it, we announce activities and news around gender. You can subscribe to the newsletter using this form.