TWFG: Where to from here?

[Caitlin Dunham]

Hi everyone,

 

I hope you have all settled into your positions nicely and are starting to get stuff underway.

 

STUFF I’VE BEEN DOING SINCE CONFERENCE:

 

I am currently researching suppliers for Thursdays in Black merch, and have had a bit of interest from some associations. If you would like to order some when I find a supplier, please tell me. The more orders there are, the cheaper it is for you.

 

I have sent requests to all institutions about their sexual harassment policies and procedures, and have so far received 7 back. After I have heard back from them all, I’ll collate them into a quick report comparing them with the occurrences of attacks in the last 3 years. There is a drafted letter to go out to All Blacks (I’m thinking past players will probably be easier to get) for our new poster campaign.

 

The It’s Not OK foundation have commissioned me on behalf of NZUSA to create a survey about students’ perspectives of relationship abuse. Once this is done, I’ll be relying on you to send it out to your networks (it’ll all be online so it’s just a link), putting it on your social media pages and student magazines (or any other appropriate avenues you think of).

 

I also have meetings with Carol Beaumont (TBA), Hekia Parata (31^st March), Catherine Delahunty (9^th March) and Heather Roy (This Wednesday) (Tariana hasn’t got back to me yet) about women in tertiary education and women students as citizens. If you have anything you’d like me to raise with them, please email ASAP. I also have an interview with Panui, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs publication, about the role of the TWFG and what I do.

 

There’s also been lots of other general meetings I’ve gone to with Max and David, and a lot of other really boring little things.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

8 March – International Women’s Day

6 May – International No Diet Day

19 Sept – Suffrage Day

26 Sept – International Contraceptive Day

15 November – White Ribbon Day

10 Dec – Human Rights Day

 

Can everyone please:

-reply to this email re: whether you want to stay on this loop (it’s pretty worthwhile, and not just focussed at Women’s/Welfare Reps)

-Tell me what their campus’ plans for International Women’s Day are – it’s the centenary, but don’t feel like you have to do something huge for it

-Tell me which trimester would be best for the Safety Audit so I am working to a timeline (I think June would be best so it’s not too close to the election campaign, but it’s entirely up to you)

-Start thinking of ways the TWFG can remain without any funding from NZUSA – this means no paid national co-ordinator, no money for resources and no national voice. If you have alternate plans, please email your ideas.

-Email me if you think of anything you’d like to see done this year.

 

Obviously, collective decisions can’t be made without input from everyone. What may work on one campus may fail completely on another, so I need everyone to contribute so we can come up with something which attempts to suit everyone.

 

Sorry this is so long,

 

Caitlin Dunham

National Women's Rights Officer

New Zealand Union of Students' Associations

Te Roopu Ākonga o ngā Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa

 

Mobile: 027 486 8675

Phone: 04 498 2500

Fax: 04 473 2391

 

NZUSA Federation Office

Level 3, 354 Lambton Quay

PO Box 10191, Wellington

Aotearoa New Zealand

 

[WRO]

We would like to stay in the loop!

We're fine with June for the Safety Audit.

For International Women's Day we've engaged a speaker from Positive Women to talk to students about women and HIV, which is definitely an international issue. Jane at Positive Women would like the talk to focus on the issue as it pertains to New Zealand women, because it is often seen as a "third world" or "overseas" issue and that leads to a dangerous complacence (which is why we engaged first the pregnant Kiwi woman, and then when that fell through the 26 year-old who caught HIV at university, instead of the African woman we might engage to speak later in the year)

 --
Alana Chang & Sophie Buchanan
Women's Rights Officers
Auckland University Students' Association Inc. (AUSA)
Te Roopu Tauira O Te Whare Waananga O Tamaki Makaurau

Tel +64 9 309 0789 ext 253 | Mob +64 21 1388245  | Fax +64 9 306 6580
Private Bag 92019, Auckland | 4 Alfred St, Auckland 1010 New Zealand

[WRO]

Sorry, we forgot to add that we are definately interested in Thursdays In Black merch.  We are so interested in fact that if it hasn't been organised by late March we were wondering if we'd be able to buy any off anyone who has any stockpiles?  Our Womensfest is from 21st-25th March and we'd really love some stuff for that.

Alana

[Caitlin Dunham]

Hey Alana,

Even if I placed the order in the next week, I couldn't guarantee that they'd be there by then. So far I've only heard from VUWSA and MUSA. I'll talk to Karen about the best thing for you to do and get back to you later this afternoon.

Your Womens' Fest is so early! usually the first one isn't til May!

Caitlin

[WRO]

Yep, running around in a bit of a panic.  Hopefully I'll have the final plan and budget done by the end of the week though. Might give some ideas who still have thiers to plan.  Ugh..