Women's Conference - Hatty Ruddick
I have just returned from NUS Women’s Conference in Bristol where I was a delegate representing all women students at Salford. It was a great two days of hearing what incredible work is happening all across the country and within our national campaign.
We had the opportunity to vote on motions that steer the work of the Women’s Campaign over the next three years and to stop any policy from 2016 lapsing (which means that it will remain as policy). I was happy to speak on a motion mandating the women’s campaign to work on ensuring that unions are accessible to Disabled Students and I’m delighted that this motion passed unanimously. Here is a record of how I voted on every motion. For transparency, I was not on conference floor from motion 304 onwards due to being an observer in a count for an election.
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101- Solidarity with Rohingya -Voted for PASSED |
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102- A labour movement that fights for trans women -Voted for PASSED |
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103 Kashmir solidarity-Voted for PASSED |
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104 No women in mens prisons, prison abolition-Voted for PASSED |
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105 GRA and tackling transmisogyny-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 105a-Voted for PASSED |
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106 Climate justice-Voted for PASSED |
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201 Supporting student parents and carers-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 201a-Voted for PASSED |
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202 Keep perpetrators out of SUs-Voted for PASSED |
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203 Supporting student survivors of domestic abuse-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 203a-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 203b-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 203c-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 203d (in the policy document as 204a)-Voted for PASSED |
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204 Disabled Women and gender based violence-Voted for PASSED |
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205 #MeTooOnCampus-Voted for PASSED |
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206 Housing is a feminist issue-Voted for PASSED |
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207 Feminist LGBT+ approaches to reproductive justice-Voted for PASSED |
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208 Reclaim the Night-Voted for PASSED |
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Parts 'Anti-Poilce'- Voted Against FELL |
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Amendment 208a -Voted for PASSED |
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209 Period Poverty-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 209a-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 209b-Voted for PASSED |
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210 Reproductive Justice-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 210a-Voted for PASSED |
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211 Grant students maternity rights now-Voted for PASSED |
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212 Sexual Health Awareness-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 212a-Voted for PASSED |
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Amendment 212b-Voted for PASSED |
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301 Political Education for all-Voted for PASSED |
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302 Stand with academic staff against precarious contracts-Voted for PASSED |
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303 Challenging TERF/transmisogynistic ideology on campus and in the academy-Voted for PASSED |
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304 University complaints procedures are broken- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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305 Justice for support staff- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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Amendment 305a- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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401 Non-binary people in women’s spaces- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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402 Recognising women’s work- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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403 Defending liberation- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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404 Supporting the Nations- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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501 Representation on NSC- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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Amendment 501a- Was not on conference floor PASSED |
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Policy Lapse |
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Gendered Islamophobia-Voted for PASSED |
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Part-time activist development-Voted for PASSED |
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Database for best practice-Voted for PASSED |
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Abortion Devolution-Voted for PASSED |
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Black women and mental health-Voted for PASSED |
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Accessibility at campus events-Voted for PASSED |
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Keeping perpetrators out of activist spaces-Voted for PASSED |
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Double Discrimination-Voted for PASSED |
We also had the chance to vote in elections for the National Women’s Officer, the NEC 2nd Place and who would represent liberation groups on the working group. I could only vote for liberation groups that I identify as, so I voted in the Bi, Queer and Disabled Rep elections. I am extremely happy to say that I was elected onto the working group to represent Disabled Women students. Over the next year I will be working on reducing Gendered Islamophobia in Disabled Spaces and bringing the women’s campaign more regional instead of being so London based. If you are a Disabled Student that is a woman please get in touch from the 1st July and we can have a chat on how I can represent you!
Here is how I voted in the elections:
National Women’s Officer: Rachel Watters (Elected)
NEC Place: Sandy (Elected)
Bi Rep: Kat (Elected)
Queer Rep: Emily (Elected)
Disabled Rep Myself (Elected)
Steering Committee: Maria Battul, Anna Welsh (Both Elected)
It is really important to state that the Women’s Campaign has done some incredible work this year and Sarah Lasoye has been a fantastic officer that has been working on sexual misconduct in Further Education and supporting Black Women in academia. I am glad that I campaigned and voted for Sarah at last conference and I would like to formally thank her for her work in the movement over the last three years.
This conference has been beautiful and I was very glad to get the chance to go to create some great policy and to now be a representative of women nationally!
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