As part of International Women’ Day at the University of Derby Students’ Union this year the UDSU Women’s Campaign has organised a discussion and debate on the legalisation of prostitution vs the eradication of prostitution, with guest speakers from the Feminist Coalition Against Prostitution and the English Collective of Prostitutes. Unfortunately NUS Women’s Officer can no longer attend this event but she has sent her sincere apologies for her absence.

Please find a schedule for the discussion and debate below:

Monday 8^th March 2010 (Noon-3.00PM)

12.00 noon – Welcome to Guest Speakers and introductions.

12.10 – Finn Mackay speaks on behalf of The Feminist Coalition Against Prostitution

12.15 – Opens to floor for questions for The Feminist Coalition Against Prostitution

12.25 – The English Collective of Prostitutes – ECP (2 Speakers)

12.35 – Opens to floor for Questions to ECP

12.45 – Opportunity for all guest speakers to raise key issues before the debate

12.55 – Audience can join the debate

1.15 – Short break

1.30 – Debate continues

The space in the Multifaith Centre is booked until 15.00 so I hope you all come along with many questions and views.

I am aware that this is a sensitive issue which people will have conflicting views on but please remember to respect our guest speakers who are attending in their own time and please also respect one another’s views and allow one another the time to speak.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

(image source: Flickr by Jessica Gosling (제시카))

On Monday 1 March, the NUS Women’s campaign organized and took part in an emergency protest outside of the final of the Miss University GB competition in Cardiff. Women came together to unite against the objectification of women, this was a part of their continued effort to campaign against the objectification of women.

For more information please see http://www.nus.org.uk/en/Campaigns/Womens-/Students-protest-outside-Miss-University-GB/

Million Women Rise

We are calling all women to join Million Women Rise on Saturday 6th March 2010 in central London to celebrate the 100 years Anniversary of International Women’s Day and to demonstrate against male violence. Our theme for 2010 is End the RAPE of Women, End the RAPE of our Earth (each one teach one, each sistah bring a sistah). We encourage women to wear red, black and/or green. Please send this email far and wide – to all the women you know and all of the mailing lists you are on.

“We are at a threshold. We are going to see change. If we can create the vision in our heart, it will spread. As women of wisdom we cannot be divided. As bringers of light, we have no choice but to join together” Agness Baker Pilgrim (Grandmothers Council)

Saturday 6 March 2010

12pm Meet opposite Hyde Park (Speakers Corner End) on PARK LANE (Nearest Tube: 1 Minute from Marble Arch)

March Route set off at 1.00pm – we will march through Oxford St, Regents St, and Piccadilly!

3.00 – 4.30pm Rally and Celebration in Trafalgar Square (Nearest Tubes: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Charing Cross)

Coaches, Buses & Mobility Access for the march - Drop Off: Park Lane (Park Side) and Pick Up: Pall Mall – West Regents Street, Central London

4.30pm – 1.00am Food and Networking Party at The 52 Club, 52 Gower Street WC1E6EB, a wheelchair accessible venue. ALL welcome. Food, performances, swimming pool, DJs and chill-out space. Entry fee on the door – donation if unwaged, £5 low-waged and £10 waged. TOGETHER WE WILL END MALE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

(image source: Flickr by Gil Searcy)

Fawcett will be asking political parties and their candidates – what about women? So they are calling for you to let them know what each party should take forward for women’s rights.

These are just a few of the key policy areas for women:

• The economy, tax and public spending
• Work and Family Life
• Crime and Justice
• Reforming politics and strengthening our democracy
• Culture and Media
• Equality and Human Rights

So let Fawcett know your thoughts and complete their survey today. As we begin the countdown to the General Election the political parties are vying for women’s votes, but are they doing enough to consider how their policies will affect women?

Take 5 minutes to complete the survey and let them know what you think!

I hope to see you at Democracy Day and please feel free to share your reviews and explore even more reasons to vote in the 2010 Elections!

Please come along and have a chat with various Union representatives and collect up great deals and information to make your time here at Derby even better. The Women’s Campaign will be displaying sign- up sheets which anyone who self defines as a woman can add their name and contact details to in order to receive campaign updates and dates of meetings. I will also be showing off some of our already successful women’s campaigns and giving a sneak preview of things to come this year!

Anyone who wishes to volunteer at this event should contact me as soon as possible via email. I look forward to seeing you all soon

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. About 46,000 women get breast cancer in the UK each year. Most of them (eight out of 10) are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. (NHS, 2009)

Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms but usually shows as a lump or thickening in the breast tissue (although most breast lumps are not cancerous). If cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated before it spreads to nearby parts of the body. (NHS, 2009)

Symptoms:

See your GP if you notice any of the following:

1. a lump or area of thickened tissue in either breast,
2. discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood),
3. a lump or swelling in either of your armpits,
4. a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts,
5. dimpling on the skin of your breasts,
6. a rash on or around your nipple,
7. a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast, or
8. pain in either of your breasts or armpits which is not related to your period. (NHS, 2009)

Regular self examination will make it easier to notice any differences. It is providing information like this that needs to be improved upon and that is why we’re running the ‘Cop a Feel’ Campaign. It was requested by you during the ‘What Women Want Campaign’ and it will be delivered during February this year, in conjunction with a Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraising Event presented by the Pole Dance Society. February is set to be an exciting but very busy month so if anyone wishes to volunteer their time for this event please contact me before the 1st of February 2010.

For information on how to perform a self breast examination please follow this link:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/

Useful Breakthrough Breast Cancer Links:

http://breakthrough.org.uk/

http://breakthrough.org.uk/breast_cancer/breast_cancer_facts/risk_factors_general_information/

http://breakthrough.org.uk/our_work/our_campaigns/screening_saves_lives/

Signs and Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer:

http://breakthrough.org.uk/breast_cancer/breast_awareness/male_breast_cancer.html

Thanks,

The NUS Women’s Campaign is pleased to announce the launch of our survey exploring women students’ experiences of harassment, violence, sexual assault and stalking. The survey aims to uncover the specific experiences of women students in relation to violence, how it affects their education, and to establish how safe or unsafe women students feel in different environments.

The Women’s Campaign will be launching a research report of our findings in the new year. We will also make recommendations for changes to ensure better support for those who have experienced violence as well as strategies for preventing it.

Regardless of whether or not you have experienced any kind of violence or harassment, your answers will help us to understand and deal with issues of violence against women students.

Please help us stop violence against women by filling in this survey.

Please go here to complete the survey – www.nus.org.uk/vaw.

The survey is open to all women students, including trans women. The survey will be live until 4 January.

We want this survey to be completed by as many women as possible so that we get a complete and accurate picture of violence against women students. Please fill this survey out, and then forward it to your as many of your friends as possible.

If you have any questions about the survey, please do e-mail me.

Liv Bailey

NUS National Women’s Officer

olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: I WILL lead the way
- training day for women in student politics

Online registration has just opened for ‘I WILL lead the way’, an exciting new event run by the women’s campaign, that will be held on the 19th January in a central London location. Please forward the below details to anyone who might be interested in attending, and please do consider attending yourself.

Register online now to reserve your place – http://www.regonline.co.uk/Checkin.asp?EventId=799528

• Are you a woman student who would like to empower more women to stand in your Students’ Union’s elections?
• Are you a woman student who is interested in running for a sabbatical position in your Students’ Union?
• Are you a woman student who currently is a Students’ Union Sabbatical or part time Officer and would like to run for election again or encourage other women to run for election?
• Are you a woman student who thinks that more women should be in leadership positions in your Institution?

If your answer is yes to any of the four questions above, then you should register to attend I WILL: Lead the Way, a one-day training event which is being ran by NUS Women’s Campaign. This event will take place in London on Tuesday 19th January 2009 and is aimed at women student union officers and other women student activists interested in taking up sabbatical or part time SU positions. The event will:

• Offer skills and tips on being women in leadership positions
• Offer guidance and best practice on running elections & campaigning
• Give you practical tips to empower women to get involved in your union
• Learn why feminism and the women’s campaign go hand in hand with women’s representation

The workshops will be run by inspirational women who have achieved success in leadership positions and/or ran campaigns for women running for election. This will include one of Gordon Brown’s special advisers, who will be running a public speaking workshop, and a women’s leadership training organisation, who will be running a session on confidence building.

The event is going to be held in London and will cost £30 to HE Delegates and £15 for FE Delegates. This is inclusive of lunch and refreshments.

To register for this event, please go here – http://www.regonline.co.uk/Checkin.asp?EventId=799528

Places are limited, so book your place now to avoid disappointment and join us to lead the way as women.

This event is for women only, inclusive of trans women.

In unity,

Liv
xx

I know it’s difficult to fit in campaigning and meetings around your studies and social life so rather than taking on even more responsibility, why not help us to help you by taking a few seconds to fill in a ‘What Women Want’ postcard? Simply fill it in and place it in the collection box which will be located in Blends and the UDSU reception. You don’t have to give your name, simply pick up a postcard next time you’re grabbing a coffee or passing by the UDSU reception and note down what women’s campaigns you want to see this year. You may want to see a campaign on Equal Pay or the Elimination of Sexism in Education. Whatever it is, let us know. If you’re silent, we can’t speak for you!

The ‘What Women Want’ Postcard (pictured here) will be available for you to pick up later this week. Thanks for reading and thank you in advance for all your ideas!

(image source: Flickr by Monroe’s Dragonfly)

Some statistics:

• 17.1% less for full-time work
• 36.6% less for part-time work
• 40.1% less in the financial sector
• Pakistani women are paid 25.7% less than white men
• Disabled women are paid 22.3% less than non-disabled men

Why is there still a pay gap?

There are 3 main causes of the gender pay gap:

1. Discrimination: paying women less than men for doing the same jobs or work of equal value is the single largest cause of the pay gap.
2. Mother hood penalty: women still do the bulk of the caring in the UK. Factors such as a lack of flexible working and the long working hour’s culture mean women pay a penalty at work for their caring role. A number of women also risk losing their job when they fall pregnant.
3. Undervaluation of traditional ‘women’s work’: jobs traditionally carried out by women – (cleaning, catering and caring) – are undervalued and paid less than other jobs.

This is unacceptable. Which is why Fawcett and Unison have started the Equal Pay Campaign, and you can help make this campaign a success.

The Government’s Equality Bill is currently being run through parliament — which gives us  a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen equal pay law and end the gender pay gap. This Equal Pay Day (30th October 2009) make sure you raise your voice and call on the Government to get tough on equal pay!

How can you help?

The women’s campaign will be around the Atrium on Friday 30th October 2009 between 9.00am and 5.00pm, you can sign the Equal Pay Day petition, which will then be sent to parliament. If you have a bit more time available please feel free to take a look at the Fawcett Society website where there are a number of different campaign resources you can use.

(image source: Flickr by joergh)

The first slot was scheduled to take place Wednesday (21st October), unfortunately despite Anton sending out e-mails to everyone who registered their interest nobody booked in for the session. If you are unavailable on Wednesdays between 11.00 and 12.00 please let either myself or Anton know as we could reschedule this slot.

Please be aware that spaces are limited with only 16 people allowed per session, so each session will be run on a first come first serve basis. The cost for the session is £2.50; this is a very competitive rate and is well worth taking advantage of!

All new members will be required to book in for an induction prior to this session and a health questionnaire and membership form will need to be completed.

This Women’s Only Slot has  come about as the Women students here at Derby said that this is something they wanted to see from their Union during 09/10, now it’s here please make the most of this opportunity and if there are any changes you wish to see please let me know.

For a woman (or man) to experience a negative body image is damaging to so many aspects of their life. Negative body image can manifest in a number of ways causing eating disorders, depression and even self harm. Although there are a number of services and support systems in place for people who experience a negative body image, it can still impact people’s lives on a number of levels, including their job, relationships and education.

I will ensure that the UDSU produce a leaflet on the effects of negative body image, which will include information on local support services.

Developing a positive body image and a healthy mental attitude is crucial to a woman’s happiness and wellness. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Negative Body Image Policy is successfully renewed in 2010 and that the policy is consistently upheld in all the Union does.

Concern with appearance is not just an aberration of Modern Western culture. Every period of history has had its own standards of what is and is not beautiful, and every contemporary society has its own distinctive concept of the ideal physical attributes. In the 19th Century being beautiful meant wearing a corset – causing breathing and digestive problems. Now we try to diet and exercise ourselves into the fashionable shape – often with even more serious consequences. — Social Issues Research Centre.

Useful Links:

• The Source Advice Service
• Disordered Eating
• First Steps Derby
• Derby Depression Club

(image source: Flickr by little peppercorn)