Download Gemma Kilby - Women's Officer - Manifesto.docx

My name is Gemma Kilby and I want to be your Women's Officer for 2012/13. I have spent the last year as a member of the Women's Association, and have been key in raising money for local charities dealing with women's health and support, including Portsmouth Area Rape Crisis Service. I have also been to national demonstrations against education and welfare cuts, as these issues more detrimentally affect women in our society.  

If elected your Women's Officer, I want to:

• Continue chairing Women's Association meetings for discussions to make the Union and University a more friendly place for female students, and invite guest speakers to do talks on various issues affecting women.

• Work closely with local organisations like The White Ribbon Campaign and PARCS to encourage women to speak out about domestic violence and sexual assault against both students and women who live in the area.

• Create links with local women's groups eg. Hampshire Feminist Collective.

• Raise awareness of the necessity for women's rights and feminism by hosting events to promote local campaigns (including Hollaback) that do not blame women for being assaulted.

• Stop the sale of Lads' Mags from all University and Union shops, and stop the distribution of free magazine "Cosmo on Campus" from the University and Union buildings to reduce the amount of media feeding students the culture of objectification of women.

• Introduce a safety bus to take students home after Eskimo11 sponsored club nights and events, as a preventative measure for reducing assaults.

• Improve the Zero Tolerance policy to MEAN Zero Tolerance for sexism and sexual assault on UPSU and University property.

• Better signposting for special services within the Union and University eg. Childcare, ASDAC.
If elected I will work tirelessly to improve the treatment of women in Portsmouth, be they students or otherwise. I will continue the work I have done for the past year with the Women's Association, and create new links between the Union and outside groups that will be beneficial to all.