Women's Representation

Improving Women's representation in traditionally male dominated courses, empowering women to participate in structures within the Students' Union and to run for leadership positions.

Update on this objective

• Develop the leadership programme to empower more women to participate within these structures in the Students’ Union.

I have worked with Krissy Meyer and Thom Arnold to develop the programme and first session of the leadership training. The training is for women and international students. I led the first session on Confidence and Empowerment, we had a guest speaker: professor Rebecca Hughes. We received really positive feedback and there is another session soon.

• Provide the people participating in the leadership programme with a mentor in a senior or leadership position within the Students’ Union or University.

I buddied up participants in the leadership programme into pairs and they have all been assigned to a mentor.I might mix around the mentors so that all students get to meet inspirational people and also so the mentors get to practise their skills on different students too!

• Provide activist training for the liberation committees in the Students’ Union in order to boost their campaigns for the year and embed stronger representation in the Students’ Union.

I have completed a campaign session for Women’s committee and 5 members went to NUS' Sister ACTivist training. Hopefully this will empower them to have change campaigns and get ideas going. The committee can use this model from now on. I think it would be useful to do this with Black and Disabled. LGBT have some campaigns planned for the year, so I don’t know how useful this will be. But I have provided the LGBT Councillor with the NUS LGBT handbook. 
Krissy and I also coordinated specific training for the Representative Councillors to get them to focus on their goals for the year and how to achieve them. 

• Work on Council Elections Committee in order to organise how it will be promoted and getting people nominated, in relation to under represented groups. 

I was on Elections Committee for the Council Elections. I tried to ensure all the messages going out to students were as inclusive as possible. We did a lot of emails directed at under represented groups. Unfortunately I could not get one sent out to women students in time (even though this is possible). So I can look into this for Officer Elections. We also provided the blackboard in the Gallery for representative councillors to use this space to campaign.

There was an increase in the amount of women who nominated themselves to be councillor- from 30% to 46%

• Work with the head of the Engineering faculty Professor Mike Hounslow to increase women’s representation and participation for students and academics within the department.
• Have input into increasing women academics in the department. In order to create positive role models for the women students and future women students.

I have been on the panel for the new Director for Women in Engineering position. This role will mean there is finally a woman on the faculty’s executive board and their job will be to develop strategies to increase the amount of women staying on to study engineering and becoming academics.
I also attended a Women in Engineering event at the AMRC and discussed ways the Univeristy can increase the amount of women studying engineering through projects and also with the new re-development of the Engineering building. 
 

 

Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment 

Implementing a Zero Tolerance approach to Sexual Harassment in the Students' Union and hopefully elsewhere. Ensuring students know they have a right to report. Women only empowering self defence classes.

Update on this objective

I worked out a reporting procedure with Nigel Hallam over the summer and a complaints procedure with Steven Hubbard. Still need to work out how it will work with the University’s mechanisms and disciplinary procedures

Over the summer I trained all the line managers and I will go over training briefly in the next council.

The line managers have now done all the training with their departments. I’ve received feedback from a few managers, all implemented without a problem.

I have placed stickers on mirrors, posters with detailed information on are up in toilets, a blog, a press release statement on SU website. 

If you think there is more could be done to publicise this policy please let me know! :)
 

Women's Aspirations

Exploring the perceived and actual barriers women face when applying for jobs. What our women students and graduates aspirations are. Develop a strategy from the results.

Update on this objective

Update coming soon...

Student Parents

Continue to improve the child friendly spaces in the Students' Union, research and break down the barriers they face in the University and Students' Union. Ensuring Student Parents are registered and creating a Student Parent Community.

Update on this objective

• Improve child-friendly spaces in the Students’ Union building
Permanent Lego table in Coffee Revs!
Interactive Children’s Menus
 
• More events or activities for student parents to engage with and meet other parents
Families Days on Saturdays- Not had the attendance I would have liked, however I haven’t been able to communicate with parents very easily. BUT I have finally got hold of a mailing list for all students who have indicated they have dependants.