However we worked within our programs, it was a complex process involving many different people and situations. Administrative and peer support, the interest of students, sufficient funding, and program stability and flexibility - they all seem necessary, though some of us managed to go forward even when these necessities were lacking.

• Why were some programs and women not able to do what they wanted?

Some of the woman-positive activities did not proceed as planned. Others changed direction at different times during the research process. We want to understand why some of us were not able to do what we wanted. We also want to recognize that in those programs where the research shifted focus, good literacy worked continued throughout the project.

A few of us believe that we did not have a strong enough vision. We entered into our activities without being clear enough about the possible consequences. This seems particularly true when we consider the ways in which we did, or did x not, include students in the decision-making.

In some programs, students were not used to having the power to decide on their activities. In community college programs, students are often not used to having input into decisions about administration or programming policy, even though they may have considerable influence in curriculum. This lack of experience in being consulted around program decisions led to certain negative power dynamics - particularly in one situation where white men dominated the discussions.

Women's personal lives - especially our lack of time to spend on ourselves-limited the kinds of risks we are able to take. This was true for women students as well as staff. A lack of encouragement from partners, families, or friends often makes it very difficult to continue with activities that we define as positive for ourselves as women. There can be a stigma attached to participating in women-only activities, in particular, that is hard to overcome if we feel isolated. Sometimes we may not feel isolated, we simply cannot spare the time or the money for childcare or transportation.

Some women did not have the support of even one other participant. A few of us in this situation were able to carry on. Others felt too isolated and vulnerable on several different levels. We found it difficult to do woman-positive activities without support and impossible to make the kinds of structural program change needed in order to get that support.

Lack of support from co-workers was sometimes difficult, particularly when the co-workers agreed theoretically with the project, but were not able to put that theory into practice. Women especially could not go forward, could not risk too much, when they were unable to confront their co-workers.