Women’s Department

BY FLORETTA SUSILO

The Women’s Department exists to represent women and non-binary students on campus as well as all those with lived experience of misogyny. 2021 has had its ups and downs for the Women’s Department. The Department was able to run an array of events this year online and inperson. Throughout 2021 we wanted to stick to the themes of education, advocacy, and intersectionality for our events. Our various collectives ran activations focusing on wellbeing and creating safe spaces on campus for students with lived experience of misogyny including the Women’s Department ‘Smash the Pastry-achy’ event.

In Semester 1, we introduced our Department to incoming students during O-day giving out 300+ environmentally conscious tote bags and our latest Damsel Magazine issue. We held our International Women’s Day event which hosted a diverse panel of women and non-binary people sharing their experiences on the 2021 #ChoosetoChallenge theme, with 70 students in attendance. The Department had educational events such as our Women in Health Afternoon Tea event and Bits, Bibs & Boobs event to explore careers in the health and science field, healthy relationships and to advocate for better sexual health education. We hosted our End the Violence Week to advocate for safety on campus and had social impact events in collaboration with community groups such as, Zonta House Refuge Association, Rhee TaeKwondo for self-defence classes and Operation Sunshine WA, to deliver workshops and volunteering opportunities. For our online students we had our Art Against Violence Online Exhibition in collaboration with the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery that reached 100+ students.

In Semester 2, we held Women’s Week which collaborated with over 16 clubs, FacSocs and community groups. We had mindfulness workshops, a free boxing class, a clothing swap, birthing kit assembly and various skills workshop in addition to our Women’s Week Festival that featured 10 of our collaborators to deliver an array of resources, campaigns, and activities for students. In addition to the ‘Smash the Pastry-achy’ event, the Women’s Department also ran the Women of Colour Collective’s Picnic and Women’s Access Collective Mindfulness Through Art Workshop. Additionally, we held a launch event for our 2021 Damsel Magazine issue with the theme being “Loud”, featuring student creatives sharing their visual and written art.

In collaboration with the National Union of Students (NUS) Women’s Officer, we participated in a campaign to spread awareness of the Universities Australia commissioned National Student Safety Survey (NSSS). Moving into 2022, we can expect the Women’s Department to play an important role in support and advocacy following the release of the NSSS results in late January.