Women’s Committee Meeting

Date: 6th December

Time: 5pm – 7pm
Secretary: Freya Potter

Meeting attended by: Jennifer Smyth, Rosa Gane, Seevana Raghubeer Elete Nelson-Fearon, Zara
Riches, , Lily Shepherd, Elagia Avloniti, Tresha Lionel
Absent from meeting: Katrina Beitina

Sent apologies: Elena Cotton

Agenda Topic #1: Introduction from Jenni Actions/Deadlines:

Notes:

Everyone introduced themselves and Jenni (JS) gave an outline of

the aims and responsibilities of the Committee, that they can submit
and act on Policy as well as pursue other activities/campaigns.

Agenda Topic #2: Upcoming Policy at Senate

Notes:

1. JS gave an outline of the policy and no one had any questions.

2. JS gave an outline of the policy. Lily asked about the
implications on funding/placements for some students.
3. JS gave an outline of the policy. The committee discussed their
different experiences printing credits from school to school.
4. JS gave an outline of the policy. The committee questioned why
Starbucks wasn’t mentioned in the policy.
5. JS gave an outline of the policy.

JS also explained what Senate was and how it works.

Agenda Topic #3: Women’s Officer’s Aims/Events

Notes:

Rosa (RG):
Higher Education Fair/Careers Fair for women focusing on
STEM/Male dominated fields.
UG/PG mentoring scheme.
Lobbying Uni to provide (better) consent education.

Seevana (SR):

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Spoken word poetry nights & provide platform for marginalized
voices.
Wants to run workshops for women teaching practical skills eg.
Changing a tyre/fixing appliances

Agenda Topic #4: Committee Member Ideas

Notes: Elete to invite Lily to consent
working group.
Elagia (EA):
Street harassment – wants to find out more about what we do
already and work on tackling this.

Zara (ZR): Wants to do more pratical feminism

Lily (LR): Women in STEM, consent education

Elete (ENF): Wants to do more for BME LGBT Women, consent

working group.

Agenda Topic #5: Reclaim the Night

Notes:

JS explained what RTN is, that it is a march against violence against

women-biggest in the UK. Wants to work on making the march more
intersectional and getting more community groups involved.
Youth Outreach work in the run up – focus on street harassment esp.
muslim women.
After party will include alcohol free spaces.

Thoughts for speakers at the event?

Kate Green MP is free and wants to come.
Jeanette Winterson – works at Uni
All female big band – Rosa has a contact

There are individual working groups for each aspect so people

should join those and contribute ideas.

Agenda Topic #6: Vagina Monologues

Notes:

Fundraiser for Action for Trans Health, Manchester Women’s Aid,

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Manchester Rape Crisis.

Vagina Monologues social on the 13th December.

Everyone is invited to come along, perform/help out.

Agenda Topic #7: Domestic Violence Campaign

Notes:

Women’s Aid are designing a specific recovery toolkit for students.

Agenda Topic #8: Safety Report

Notes:

Student safety report has been released.

Agenda Topic #9: Student Parents

JS to check that the child-friendly
As a student parent Jenni is working on this issue. spaces posters are in the men’s
toilets too.

Agenda Topic #10: International Women’s Day Event

JS wants to help facilitate a student led event for IWD involving as

many societies as possible.

Agenda Topic #11: Call It Out

CIO was set up last year as a way for students to share their JS to arrange more Conversation
experiences of street harassment/sexism on campus. Corners in the New Year.
It’s been neglected but ENF wants to develop it. Wants to organize
conversation corner style events to make physical CIO spaces.

JS asked if everyone would be happy to be added as an admin. EA

has opted out.

EA is going to share a Facebook page she thinks could have good

ideas for CIO.

Tresha (TL) wants to do more physical events. Idea like a women-

only sleepover style event.

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JS suggested Feminist Collective might want to work on this.

Can we run more Women’s Campaign events such as Conversation

Corners throughout the year? Might appeal more to women who
don’t identify as feminists

Agenda Topic #12: Intersectionality

JS concerned that the face of the Women’s Campaign is white and JS to speak to comms about
wants to ensure that it is welcoming to all women. online/notice boards.

ENF suggested that we run specific Conversation Corners for JS to speak to Tamara and Naa
different groups of women eg. BME women etc. and film about creating a separate
screenings/discussions. women’s publication.

RG suggested the committee link up with the BME campaign/black

film club.

JS wants to support BME Women on the committee to run more

events/activities focused on BME women.

SR: we could work with other societies to promote their events.

JS wants to create a more central place to advertise events rather

than just post them on her page so that people aren’t bombarded.

Could we restart Diversity Digest?

SR: do we need a social media secretary?

Could we have physical notice boards?
Could we produce a Women’s Magazine-start online and then go to
print?

Very important that it is run by women for women.

The committee discussed a recent article in the Mancunian which

this could be a forum to respond to that.

ENF said that it should include international students and publish

articles in multiple languages.

Len (LC) works for the Mancunian so will be a useful contact for this.

There could be different sections for LGBT/STEM/BME etc.

Could we link up with the Tab.

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