Hello everyone!
Welcome to Sheffield if you’re new here and welcome back to everyone else.
In this blog I’ll try to give an overview of what I’ve been working on over summer, and I’ll continue to update each week so you can keep up-to-date with the work of Sheffield’s women’s campaign.
I took office in July and spent lots of that month meeting with a range of staff and students to make plans for the year ahead. I met with members of staff in the university and the union to discuss subjects including the University’s Equality Strategy, and how we can improve the way the university supports students who experience harassment at university.
I’ve also met with staff from external organisations such as South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Association and Sheffield rape and sexual abuse counselling service to improve the Union’s links with these groups and ensure we work together to provide help and support for any student who needs it. I’ve also met with the University Health Service and Counselling Service to discuss awareness campaigns and health promotion.
I’ve also been working with students to plan campaigns for the year ahead. Look out for a year-long equal pay campaign to be launched soon, with campaigns on abortion rights and women’s representation to follow later in the semester. To get involved in any of these campaigns please get in touch – my contact details are listed on the Union website, or you can call into my office anytime.
I’ve also started work on the next women’s party – if you’d like to be involved in planning this, helping to publicise it, or even DJing at it please come to our meeting – Tuesday 2nd October at 4pm in the Peaks (Level 4 of the Union). And finally, I’ve been working on planning for breast cancer awareness month in October – look out for information and fundraising events in the Union next month.
Yesterday was the activities fair so I spent the day at the Women’s Committee stall. Amongst other things, I handed out over five hundred safety alarms (if you didn’t get one, call into the sabbatical office above Coffee Revolution to pick up a free alarm). I also gave out hundreds of copies of the Women’s Campaign newsletter which includes information the work of the women’s campaign at Sheffield and how to get involved, as well as providing a directory of advice and support services for women students.
Finally, the first women’s committee meeting of takes place next Wednesday, 3rd October, at 4pm in the Pennines. It’s open to all women students so if you’re interested in any aspect of Sheffield’s women’s campaign please come along!
