National Women's Department Update and Safety Blueprint Info
Noni Sproule
Dearest NOWSA Women,
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve sent around an email, it’s been really hectic here at NUS. Some exciting developments have been taking place, in particular with regards to safety on campus. I’m looking forward to seeing all the work that you’ve been doing on your campuses.
It’s time to demand safety on campus was obviously the big o week campaign. I apologise to anyone who didn’t receive their materials. I understand that there was a distribution problem in New South Wales in particular, I have taken steps to remedy this with the next distribution and if any of you are still waiting on materials please get into contact with me. I apologise for this lapse, it won’t happen again.
The petition had a good response on most campuses, with high numbers of petitions signed. In particular a big shout out to Monash University Women’s Officer, Kate James who managed a whopping 900 petitions signed, anyone else who would like bragging emails sent out on their behalf please send me your petitions and a bragging email will be sent out in due course. You can keep getting these signed right up until the campaign winds up mid May.
I need a scanned copy of your petitions for my lobbying work. Please send them through asap.
Attached to this email is the next step. A blueprint for engagement is your guide to the next part of the process, deciding on the recommendations you want to take to your university. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take all of them- absolutely do if they’re all relevant to your university. Anyone who is struggling with this process should get into contact with me and we’ll go through them together. I’m planning some trips in the next month which could find me on your campus, I’m happy to come along to any meetings you have, collective meetings, events etc. Just get into contact with me and let me know.
Curtin University Guild President Ali Kirke and Sydney University Student Representative Council President Phoebe Drake have both communicated with me that they’ve had some significant successes with their university taking action on safety as a result of their campaigning on campus. Just some success stories to keep you going the next time that you get one of those, “I don’t think it’s a problem, I don’t care about safety”.
A quick word on what you’ve all been paying me for lately. I helped women’s officers and women’s activists run the safety campaign at ANU, Unimelb, La Trobe, Monash, Deakin and Victoria University for O-Weeks. I attended the Universities Australia conference in Canberra and have spoken to most VC’s about safety on campus. Most of them were receptive to the idea of making changes in line with the recommendations, which is positive for those of you who are about to go into negotiations. I’ve attended meetings with various women’s organisations, including AWAVA and the ERA. I’m also putting together some information and a ‘crisis guide’ for when student organizations run events and women’s safety is compromised. More on that in the next update.
As always please, please, please contact me if you have any concerns or questions or even if you just want to chat. My contact details are at the end of this email.
In Sisterhood and Solidarity,
Noni
Noni Sproule
National Women's Officer
National Union of Students
wom...@nus.asn.au
0403 9869 10