L-R: Arabella Wauchope, Stella Salvemini, Rebecca Etienne. Credit: Sarah Reed and The Advertiser, 12th September 2020.
Will the real Women’s Collective please stand up? When I was younger, much like most siblings, my brother and I would fall into the tiring, sometimes endless cycle that is the copy-cat game. I would complain to my mother who would all-too predictably recite the common, diplomatic, maternal phrase: “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.”
WORDS BY lady adelaide
This frustrated me to no end as a child, until one day, in my late-teens, I came across an expanded version: “Imitation might be the highest form of flattery, but it reflects the lowest level of intelligence and imagination…” Excuse this author if she thinks of this beautifully crafted phrase when she casts her mind to the mockery that is the NEW UofA Women’s Collective (New WoCo). For those of you dear readers, who are just joining the debacle that is the fight of the UofA Women’s Collective, let this author catch you up to speed. Once Upon a Time in September of 2019, a group of proud, strong women decided that they could fill a much-needed gap at UofA. These women gathered for the first time above the Fix Student Lounge to hold their first AGM. Positions were appointed, notes were taken, ideas were brewed, and
50
consequently, the Original UofA Women’s Collective (OG WoCo) was founded on sisterhood, commitment and a common drive. By golly, an energetic tornado of pure feminist advocacy was about to land on the University of Adelaide campus. The members were motivated, their supporters were waiting with anticipation, all that was needed was to be approved as a club. Sigh. Alas, this club was denied from the get-go, apparently: "Celebrating women is not unique or necessary” and there is “no need for this club." - AUU Clubs Committee Rest assured, dear reader, our heroines did not go down without a fight! Appeals were thrown, only to be met with rejection or flat-out disregard. The AUU Board put up its walls and their allies started firing political accusations at a club whose only ambition was to advocate for equality, educate, and provide a much-needed safe space. Amidst this battle, the OG WoCo did not sit idle. Their reputation on campus grew with charity events, social meet-ups, organised protests, and the refurbishing of the Women’s Room, all the while they were still self-funded.
