Welcome to the Feminist Institute of Social Transformation
The Feminist Institute of Social Transformation (FIST) at Carleton University is an interdisciplinary academic unit committed to advancing feminist scholarship, social justice, and transformative change. Offering programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Women’s and Gender Studies and in Feminist and Gender Studies, FIST is a dynamic and inclusive intellectual community where students and faculty engage with critical issues related to gender, race, sexuality, disability, colonialism, and other intersecting structures of power. Our programs are rooted in feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial approaches to research, learning, and community collaboration.
FIST is also home to the Joint Chair in Women’s Studies, a prestigious position shared between Carleton University and the University of Ottawa that supports public-facing scholarship and community-engaged programming. Our interdisciplinary curriculum includes core and cross-listed courses from across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and offers students opportunities for hands-on learning, activist research, and applied feminist praxis. Through our teaching, mentorship, and partnerships, FIST fosters a learning environment that connects theory to action and builds toward more just and equitable futures.
