Canadian Women’s Studies Association (CWSA)

The Canadian Women’s Studies Association (CWSA) was founded in 1982 at the Learned Societies’ Conference in Ottawa. As a bilingual association of Women’s Studies practitioners across Canada, the CWSA’s mandate is to provide a professional network for Women’s Studies specialists and to promote and foster women’s studies as an academic discipline. The CWSA was a member of the Canadian Humanities Federation, the Social Science Federation of Canada and later, when these two organizations merged, the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada (HSSFC). In conjunction with the HSSFC, they sponsor an annual conference. The CWSA has published a biannual newsletter since 1982.
In 1992, the CWSA issued its first conference programme entitled Weaving alliances: selected papers presented for the Canadian Women’s Studies Association at the 1991 and 1992 Learned Societies Conferences. The CWSA took over the publication of Atlantis, originally a women’s studies journal issued by Mount Saint Vincent University in 1994 when its publication was suspended due to internal disputes.
In 1993, in response to gender equity issues uncovered at the University of Victoria Political Science Department and on other Canadian campuses, the CWSA launched the Chilly Climate Committee to investigate the issue and propose remedies. In 1998, the CWSA website was launched and a cyber-committee was created in order to keep the association apprised of issues concerning women and new communications technology.
Since 2002, Atlantis, under the aegis of the CWSA, has sponsored an annual prize for a monograph in either French or English published during the previous year. The Book Prize was renamed in 2011 to the Outstanding Scholarship Prize. In 2004, the CWSA introduced both the Undergraduate and Graduate Essay Prizes. The essays are anonymously judged by a committee of 3-5 members.
The CWSA continues to promote Women’s Studies as an academic discipline and it continues to sponsor conferences and publish periodicals on the subject.

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L'Association canadienne des études féminines (ACEF) a été fondée en 1982 lors de la conférence des sociétés savantes à Ottawa. En tant qu'association bilingue de praticiens des études féminines à travers le Canada, l'ACFÉ a pour mandat de fournir un réseau professionnel aux spécialistes des études féminines et de promouvoir et favoriser les études féminines en tant que discipline universitaire. La CWSA était membre de la Fédération canadienne des sciences humaines, de la Fédération canadienne des sciences sociales et plus tard, lorsque ces deux organisations ont fusionné, de la Fédération canadienne des sciences humaines et sociales (FCSH). En collaboration avec la FCSHS, elle sponsorise une conférence annuelle. La CWSA publie une lettre d'information semestrielle depuis 1982.
En 1992, l'ACSF a publié son premier programme de conférence intitulé Weaving alliances : selected papers presented for the Canadian Women's Studies Association at the 1991 and 1992 Learned Societies Conferences (Tisser des alliances : sélection de documents présentés pour l'Association canadienne des études féminines aux conférences des sociétés savantes de 1991 et 1992). En 1994, l'ACSF a repris la publication d'Atlantis, une revue d'études féminines publiée à l'origine par l'Université Mount Saint Vincent, lorsque sa publication a été suspendue en raison de différends internes.
En 1993, en réponse à des problèmes d'équité entre les sexes découverts au département de sciences politiques de l'Université de Victoria et sur d'autres campus canadiens, l'ACSF a mis sur pied le comité Chilly Climate, chargé d'enquêter sur la question et de proposer des solutions. En 1998, le site web de l'ACSF a été lancé et un cyber-comité a été créé afin de tenir l'association informée des questions concernant les femmes et les nouvelles technologies de communication.
Depuis 2002, Atlantis, sous l'égide du CWSA, décerne un prix annuel à une monographie en français ou en anglais publiée au cours de l'année précédente. Le prix du livre a été rebaptisé en 2011 ""Prix de l'érudition"". En 2004, le CWSA a introduit les prix de dissertation pour les étudiants de premier et de deuxième cycle. Les essais sont évalués de manière anonyme par un comité composé de 3 à 5 membres.
La CWSA continue de promouvoir les études féminines en tant que discipline universitaire, de parrainer des conférences et de publier des périodiques sur le sujet.

In 1992, the CWSA issued its first conference programme entitled Weaving alliances: selected papers presented for the Canadian Women’s Studies Association at the 1991 and 1992 Learned Societies Conferences. The CWSA took over the publication of Atlantis, originally a women’s studies journal issued by Mount Saint Vincent University in 1994 when its publication was suspended due to internal disputes.
In 1993, in response to gender equity issues uncovered at the University of Victoria Political Science Department and on other Canadian campuses, the CWSA launched the Chilly Climate Committee to investigate the issue and propose remedies. In 1998, the CWSA website was launched and a cyber-committee was created in order to keep the association apprised of issues concerning women and new communications technology.

Since 2002, Atlantis, under the aegis of the CWSA, has sponsored an annual prize for a monograph in either French or English published during the previous year. The Book Prize was renamed in 2011 to the Outstanding Scholarship Prize. In 2004, the CWSA introduced both the Undergraduate and Graduate Essay Prizes. The essays are anonymously judged by a committee of 3-5 members.

The CWSA continues to promote Women’s Studies as an academic discipline and it continues to sponsor conferences and publish periodicals on the subject.