Our Story

–1973–
Women’s Resource Center Opened
Staffed by five volunteer coordinators, the center opened in 1973/1974 academic school year. Supported by the Associated Students of UCI, its activities and services included a library, a calendar of activities, and several committees. The Center also offered a reading group, self-defense classes, consciousness-raising groups, day care, and information on health services.

–1994–
Became the Center for Women and Gender Education

–2001–
The Center was re-named to the Center for Women and Men
In the fall of 2001, the center was renamed the Center for Women and Men. Supported by the Office of Student Affairs, the Center offered programs concerning gender issues for both women and men, while continuing to address the special needs and interests of women.

–2006–
Funding for the Center was Suspended
Although the physical space closed programs like the CARE (Campus Assault Resources and Education) Office, Gender Education Series in the Dean of Students Office, and the Gender Education Initiative in the Cross-Cultural Center carried on women’s and gender work across campus.

–2016–
The Womxn’s Hub Opens
The Womxn’s Hub was founded through the collaboration of some dynamic womxn. The former Director of the UCI Cross-Cultural Center, Jade Agua, partnered with former Director of the Womxn’s Hub, Tamara Austin, to discuss the lack of a womxn’s center at UCI. They discovered that the campus had a previous womxn’s center and due to budget cuts, the center was disbanded. They assessed the number of womxn who were coming to the Cross-Cultural Center and used the Gender Initiative to bring the womxn’s center back. Working with alumni, current students, faculty, and staff, a renovated space in the Cross-Cultural Center became the new home of the Womxn’s Hub. The center opened in September 2016 and served over 1000 students in the first year.

–2021–
The Hub Renamed to Womxn’s Center for Success
With a move to its own space on the fourth floor of the Student Center and the establishment of more permanent funding sources, the Hub was ready to become a center again!

-2021-
New Branding/Logo Reveal
The Womxn’s Center for Success got a makeover thanks to Jen from projectcreativa.com! When developing this new look, Jen and the Womxn’s Center staff wanted the branding to be empowering, informative, relatable, welcoming, caring, energetic, and authentic.

–2022–
New Space Grand Opening
In Fall 2021, the Womxn’s Center for Success Staff moved from the Cross-Cultural Center space into the 4th Floor RISE Suite space along with the Latinx Resource Center, DREAM Center, UC Immigrant Legal Services, and the Sustainability Resource Center. Due to delays in construction and furniture, the grand opening of the space took place in February 2022.

The Womxn’s Center for Success releases the Our Story documentary
Created as a summer project in 2022, Multi-Media Student Intern Adrienne Santiago directed and produced the Our Story documentary. The release was planned for Fall 2022 so the community had access to watch and listen to the stories that have sustained the Womxn’s Center services in its 38-year history.

How Do I Pronounce Womxn?

Being still new to the mainstream, there is not one particular pronunciation of this word.

Most pronounce it like they are saying woman or women, but spell the singular and plural with the ‘x’. However, this raises the question if that actually is truly inclusive; members of the blind community may be left out if there is no audible way for them to hear this distinction.

Others prefer to say it as wom-inx or woma/en-x, or wom-ux. These ways can bring attention to womxn when talking verbally to someone about and opens up more dialogue about linguistics.

Should You Use Womxn?

At the end of the day, it depends on what people want to use and identify themselves as. On our behalf, we should be willing to take that extra step to respect other people and their choices, value different experiences, and understand the power of language and spelling.

What is the Goal of Using Womxn?

The ‘x’ creates a space for folks that aren’t cis women, meaning it tells people that an expansive view of gender is being included and addressed. This is a helpful distinction especially when certain spaces align with white feminists and/or trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) ideology. However, there are folks that don’t like it, and that’s okay too. The end goal is to get society into a place where inclusivity is the norm and exclusivity is the problem.