Tweet

Share

Venus Envy's bursary fund: supporting women and trans people

With post-secondary education fees increasing each year and a student debt that has more than doubled in the last decade, students are seeking out grants and bursaries to ease the burden and one local sex shop, Venus Envy, is trying to help.

Perhaps you’d consider Venus Envy an unlikely candidate for post-secondary support. The many brightly-coloured dildos and butt-plugs that line the walls can be distracting, but the shop prides itself on being education-oriented, feminist and engaged in the community.
Together, the two stores in Ottawa and Halifax offer bursaries of $5000 annually; two bursaries of $1500 each in Ottawa and two at $1000 in Halifax.

The funds that make up each bursary are collected through donations, store proceeds and queer dance parties. Organized by the Bursary Fund Board members, parties such as Certain Sort and Q-Bounce support the bursary fund and help contribute towards nurturing Ottawa’s queer community.

Lower-income and working class students suffer the most with student debt. They borrow much higher amounts of money and pay back almost double in the end. These students are also more likely to work throughout their academic years, which can impact their grades and diminish their chances of winning most awards and scholarships, even though they may need them the most.

In an effort to rebalance the inequality, the bursaries from Venus Envy are available only to female or trans students. They are based on need and rather than recognizing grades, the Venus Envy Bursary Fund Board is interested in hearing about students’ community involvement.

Melanie Jubinville-Stafford received the Venus Envy Bursary Fund in 2010. As a part-time student on social assistance, Jubinville-Stafford was dealing with depression and feeling overwhelmed. Financial trouble meant Jubinville-Stafford almost didn’t get her application to Venus Envy on time.

“I remember not having a printer and running around to find the $3.00 it would cost in internet and printing costs, and finally making it into the store on the last day possible, two minutes after closing time.”

Active in the pro-choice and harm-reduction movement, Jubinville-Stafford was recognised for having balanced her activism with her academics throughout her school years. The Venus Envy bursary fund that she received that year eased the financial tension that had impacting her mental health and her studies.

“The bursary meant I could nourish my mind and attend school. It meant dignity, better mental and well-being for me.”

Two bursaries are available in Ottawa for the upcoming school year. Applications for the 2012 school year are due July 27. Information can be found at venusenvy.ca/Ottawa/bursary