New Safe Space at Bradley Welcomes Female Students

After nearly two years of planning, the new Women’s Center at Bradley has opened.

Serving as an intercultural ambassador for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) division at Bradley, senior Alenna Martin Del Campo led an initiative to create a safe space on campus for women at the beginning of the 2023/24 school year. Vice president for DEI at Bradley, Dr. Warren Anderson, impressed upon her the need for safe spaces on campus for under-represented student populations.

Sophomores Brea Montgomery and Mackenzie Washington worked with Del Campo to set up the space. All three students collaborated with staff from housing, academic affairs and professors in the women and gender studies department to make the space the best it could be.

The room is decked out in neutral colors and shades of pink to celebrate all aspects of feminity. Montgomery realized there was a lack of resources for women on campus and wanted to give students a space to feel comfortable.“It is a space created by women for women,” she said. “We want to make sure all women are seen and feel valued ”

Alongside the Kaleidoscope Center, the Women’s Center opened in February for female-identifying students who want a safe space to study. During the grand opening, the Women’s Center handed out goodie bags full of feminine hygiene products to the first 200 students who visited.

The space also provides school materials to help empower female students in the classroom as well as resources on reproductive health to provide safe choices for their personal wellbeing. The center is partnering with the Women’s Care Center in Peoria, Central Illinois Friends and the Center for Prevention of Abuse to provide additional care for students who need it.

Different departments on campus have reached out to the students in the Women’s Center to share ideas for the future of the space. “It is just endless with the amount of support we have,” stated Del Campo. 

The Women’s Center is currently reaching out to female artists on campus to display their artwork in the space.

To ensure all female students on campus are heard, a suggestion box is available in the space for women to share their thoughts. All students can reserve the space outside of their designated hours through student services.

“The world is a man’s center, but we can always create spaces for women to feel safe,” shared Del Campo.

—Adalia Yeung

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