Royal Holloway Feminists Against Cuts

SAVE THE WOMENS LIBRARY CAMPAIGN UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (RHUL Feminism Society) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:09:00 +0000

CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR REOPENING OF THE BIDDING PROCESS TO

SAVE THE WOMEN’S LIBRARY

The campaign to save The Women’s Library from closure and relocation today held a lively demonstration outside the Holloway Road campus of London Met, where a selection panel was meeting inside to make recommendations on LSE’s bid to take over The Women’s Library collection and move it into its own library.
The selection panel, set up by Dr Paul Bowler, Deputy Vice Chancellor of London Met, to decide the fate of The Women’s Library, met this afternoon to decide whether to allow its collection of material to be moved to the LSE.

The panel agreed to meet representatives from the campaign before their meeting, but the panel was unwilling to inform us of the outcome of their deliberations before they are ratified at the next London Met Board of Governors meeting on 27th September.

If the decision to move the collection to the LSE were allowed to stand, it would mean the effective closure of The Women’s Library, with the loss of the purpose- built building in Old Castle Street, E1, which was opened only ten years ago with the aid of £4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Addressing the panel on behalf of the Save the Women’s Library Campaign, its members argued that it is imperative that the library remains its current building with its current staff. They lobbied the panel to re-open the bidding process so that the LSE and any other interested institutions could resubmit more acceptable proposals, on the grounds that:

• Moving the collection to the new LSE site would change it from a living to a dead collection, with a loss of accessibility for its local, national and international community of users.

• The bidding process has not been transparent and has been rushed through without proper consultation.

• It has recently come to light that London Met has misled stakeholders, Women’s Library staff, readers and donors, by initially claiming that it would be handed over as a package, which would keep the building, collection and staff together. However London Met later refused to include the building as part of the package unless it was leased for prohibitively high rents.

• In general the bidding process appears to not fulfil the university’s legal obligation towards transparency and equal opportunities.

In the light of this, the campaign fears that it is left with no alternative but to explore the legal ramifications of London Met’s lack of transparency and consultation with stakeholders, and its failure to uphold its equal opportunity responsibilities.

Demonstration: Save The Women’s Library! 22.09.12

noreply@blogger.com (RHUL Feminism Society) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:58:00 +0000

The imminent closure of The Women's Library building in the East End of London effectively means the closure of The Women's Library. LSE, who plan to move the collection to the 4th floor of their academic library, is now the only bidder.

With the decision made about the future of TWL by the end of the month, it is now crunch time. There are still many things you can do to stop the closure of TWL.
Join us Thursday 13th Sept outside Holloway Road tube to protest outside the selection committee meeting.
Come to our next organising meeting next Monday (17th Sept) at 6pm Freedom Books, Angel Alley, Whitechapel High St, Aldgate East Tube.
Participate in the big rally outside London Met on Saturday 22nd Sept, 4-5pm. Meet Altab Ali Park opposite Aldgate East Tube.

Help save The Women's Library

noreply@blogger.com (RHUL Feminism Society) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:57:00 +0000

... "Because well behaved women rarely make history."

The Women's Library is the most extensive women's history collection in the UK. It is currently housed in a purpose-built building in East London, which campaigners fought hard to have built to home the collection in 2002. Over the past 10 years it has grown from strength-to-strength and now functions as a cultural centre hosting events, exhibitions, talks and provides local community groups and organisations a space to hire. Its staff have worked tirelessly to build and draw new audiences to the materials which have been gathered over the past 86 years and which continue to be. The building is vibrant and accessible, a cultural centre and a focal point for activism - it is truly the kind of home that women's history, so often forgotten about, deserves. However, this cultural centre is now under threat.

London Metropolitan University, the current custodians of the library, have decided that they can no longer run the collection, and have opened the bidding process for a new institution to take over the running of the library. However, they have not made the retention of its East London home an essential part of the selection criteria, and this means that the institution that takes over the running of the collection could move it to a much less accessible location, destroying all of the community links to the collection which have been built over the last 10 years. Staff at the library are clear that this is not what they want to happen, and is not what is best for the continuation of such an important collection.

The following is a list of bidders for the library, announced recently:

Senate House, University of London (Christine Wise, Historic Collections and Head of Special Collections: christine.wise@london.ac.uk )
Manchester City Council (libraries@manchester.gov.uk )
London School of Economics, University of London (Elizabeth Chapman, Director of Library Services:e.chapman@lse.ac.uk )
Warwick University (Robin Green, Librarian: robin.green@warwick.ac.uk )
University of York (Stephen Town, Director of Information and University Librarian:stephen.town@york.ac.uk)

We're asking feminists, historians (and anyone else!) connected to these institutions – be you students, alumni or staff – to write to your head of library services to ask that they consider including the retention of the building as part of their bid. You can use the example letter below as a starting point, but personalised letters are best, so try to include your connection to the institution, and any personal comments that you might have. If you receive a response, please forward it to savetwl86@gmail.com.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing with regards to your institution's bid to take over custodianship of The Women's Library collection.

The “Save The Women's Library” Campaign was initiated by staff, users and supporters of The Women's Library when it became clear that London Metropolitan University had made the decision to divest custodianship of the collection to another institution. The aims of the campaign have been as follows: to keep the collection intact; to retain its expert staff; and to remain in the dedicated building in East London where it has been housed since 2002. The campaign are delighted that a number of bids for the collection, including your own, mean that the collection is highly likely to remain in tact. However, we are very concerned that London Metropolitan University have not made the retention of the dedicated building an essential part of the bid.

The collection currently housed in a purpose-built building in East London, which campaigners fought hard to have built to home the collection in 2002. Over the past 10 years it has grown from strength-to-strength and now functions as a cultural centre hosting events, exhibitions, talks and provides local community groups and organisations a space to hire. Its staff have worked tirelessly to build and draw new audiences to the materials which have been gathered over the past 86 years and which continue to be. The building is vibrant and accessible, a cultural centre and a focal point for activism - it is truly the kind of home that women's history, so often forgotten about, deserves. In the run-up to a major suffrage anniversary in 2018, The Women’s Library should be looking to thrive, not just survive. Staying in its building, near its audiences, with its staff, offers a sound basis for doing this.

I am therefore writing to encourage you to consider the retention of the building as part of your institution's bid for the collection. I am sure that staff at the Library would be happy to speak with you personally about why they feel the retention of the building is so important.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours faithfully,

RHUL Women Against Cuts @ Demo2012

noreply@blogger.com (RHUL Feminism Society) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:44:00 +0000

On the 21^st of November, students will once again march in London to protest at education cuts and reforms. Royal Holloway Feminism Society will be marching against the devastating impact of this government's education policy – and of wider austerity measures - on women.

Research has shown that women will bear the brunt of government cuts, with a report finding that 73% of the savings proposed in the 2011 budget will come from women. Education reforms will have a number specific negative effects on women students. The cutting of Educational Maintenance Allowance and the introduction of fees for further education for students over the age of 24 will negatively impact women who wish to return to education, for example after having children. The gender pay gap means that women will take longer to repay loans taken out for further and higher education. The most drastic cuts to higher education funding have been made to the arts and humanities, subjects which are studied by greater numbers of women than men. Student parents will be particularly hard hit: the increase in fees, combined with cuts to benefits, will seriously affect mothers in education – the NUS Women's Campaign found that 78% of student parents claimed some kind of benefit in order for them to be able to study. There is concern that reductions in government funding to higher education institutes may lead to institutions making savings by services, such as student welfare services and childcare facilities, which are relied upon by student parents. Wider cuts to public services will leave women “filling the gaps” in caring for children and relatives, leaving them much less able to pursue education.

We'll be marching on November 21^st – will you?

Royal Holloway Feminism Society stand in solidarity with the Women's Library

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Sat, 19 May 2012 10:02:00 +0000

'all the oppressed of this earth

whose dynamism and strength is stolen

for exploitation by others'

The Women's Library is currently under threat, we urge feminists to rise up against this attack on women's cultural heritage: women have been hidden from history for too long. The Library provides a unique source of inspiration for women– charting decades of rebellious feminists, campaigning on issues from the vote to wages for housework. Women’s history is already marginalised, despite documenting over half the populations history. It deserves to be protected.

One of Royal Holloway's most famous students was Emily Wielding Davison, who died as a martyr to the suffrage cause attempting to display her votes for women banner on the king’s horse. Her return ticket for that day is still in the Women’s Library collection. Each of the 70,000 items holds a story. Her funeral was the only occasion Royal Holloway students were allowed at a London Suffrage outing. The Women’s Library links all our history.

In ‘A Room of one’s own’ Virginia Woolf wrote that, “Women have sat indoors all these millions of years, so that by this time the very walls are permeated by their creative force, which has, indeed, so overcharged the capacity of bricks and mortar that it must needs harness itself to pens and brushes and business and politics.” The women’s library has created a space to encourage women’s genius, and equally record it, reclaiming the anonymous women of the past. It is a space for not only for privileged women but also the marginalised; all ethnicities, all classes, all sexualities – it is an inclusive home for everyone, enabling equal access to the exploration of identity and a sense of history. This provocation comes as part of a wider attack on women's services and represents the governments complete disregard of women, threatening to render its rich resources inaccessible. Such a reduction of service will decrease widening participation that London Met strives towards. The Library functions as not only an academic source but one that is part of local community in a largely deprived area; it acts as a cultural hub.

Royal Holloway and New Bedford College, was created in 1985 when Bedford College joined with Royal Holloway College to form a new institution within the University of London. There was once Suffrage Library, run by staff and students at Bedford, and Royal Holloway was given suffrage material to potentially start our own, the library no longer exists and the collection has been eroded. Royal Holloway Feminism Society stands in solidarity with the Women's Library in its time of threat. We believe the history of our rebellious feminist forbearers must be protected. We urge you to consider our message.

Royal Holloway Feminism Society

www.savethewomenslibrary.blogspot.co.uk
Save The Women's Library Petition
Send an email to Malcolm Gillies the London Met vice chancellor

Royal Holloway Feminism Society: RHUL FemSoc Testimony: The Women’s Library; A Room...

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:02:00 +0000

From
Royal Holloway Feminism Society: RHUL FemSoc Testimony: The Women’s Library; A Room...:

By Vicky Iglikowski

In less than a year’s time the opening hours will be reduced from five days a week to one, unless a sponsor is found. This is an unrelenting attack on women and an area of history finally gaining strength. The previous housing of The Women’s Library has already been precarious. In its preceding guise as The Fawcett Library the contents were contained in a range of dubious places, from a pub converted into a Women’s Services House in the early 20s which suffered bomb damage, to a 25 year duration in a London Metropolitan University basement which periodically suffered flooding.

For such an important record of women’s history this is not good enough. The library encompasses a free museum with rotating exhibitions and an archive; it is the only institution of its type in England. As a resource for the history of half the population, this community service deserves to be fully government funded.

As a previous student I have used the library countless times, for academic work and personal interest, and as an archivist volunteer I have firsthand experience of how dedicated the staff truly are. The library attracts 30,000 people a year; condensing the 410 weekly visitors to a signal day would be an impossible feat, and will categorically deny people access to these records. The lists of books and archival papers are vast; collectively reaching 70,000 items. The private papers of many women who are deemed ‘important’ are stored here, as well as UNESCO supported items, with world heritage status within the suffrage collections. More interesting perhaps are the archives of many unknown women –collections of early LGBT records, disability campaigners, women from every variation of ethnic backgrounds, and every area of the political spectrum. Society minutes reveal the details of not just the leaders of movements but their average members too. The archives provide historical identities for people so often excluded from official historical discourse. The collection of zines epitomises their unorthodox approach to history, documenting women's everyday lives and explorations of self.

Academically this offers a huge resource, and whatever happens to The Women’s Library it will leave a legacy of research, much of which would not have been possible without it. The context of these cuts to services is the wider issues of London Met, having faced mass course closures as a university that is fighting to provide education to students, consisting of a larger BME student body than the entire Russell group. Fighting these closures is about fundamental access to education and its resources. However the importance of this is more than educational and greater than historical justice. The significance in its rectifying of histories patriarchal narrative lies in the present. Having a tangible history is hugely important to a sense of identity and belonging. This is what The Women’s Library has enabled for its female users; a sanctuary, a place to be accepted, and an institution that recognises the importance of women in history, and their importance right now. The library’s increasing community work allows women from economically deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities to have an ownership over their history.

To first discover the wealth of inspiring women from the past is to be immersed in a world that is rarely acknowledged, of strong passionate women who fought for their rights and the rights of others. This campaign needs to gain momentum, it is about far more than academics; it is about accessing sources of inspiration and our right to explore our identity. It is hard to overestimate the importance of physical spaces to meet and share ideas. It is empowering. The movement for women’s history largely derived from ‘second wave’ feminism. Those fighting for academic recognition were also fighting for front line services, 24 hour childcare, refuge centres and reproductive rights; it is an intrinsically feminist issue.

We must let ourselves be inspired by our forebears to continue the fight.

Please sign the petition that was launched to Save The Women's Library

CALLING ALL STUDENT PARENTS AND CARERS

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:22:00 +0000

Better Care to Learn Campaign

How often have you thought about dropping from your course?
How many times have you had a panic attack over the stress of your responsibilities?
How often have you sat in a room full of students and felt tired, not because you spent your night getting drunk, but you spent it looking after your dependent when they took ill?
How often have you felt guilty for studying and leaving your dependent for a few hours?
How often have you had to ask for an extension, because you haven’t finished the last essay due to responsibilities?

This is your reality, and we can only imagine the rest. But we need to know the rest. The on campus Nursery “Little Echoes” is being closed and moved, the government Care to Learn grant was almost eradicated and the courses at RHUL are designed for students without dependents. Please download and answer this questionnaire, it is anonymous and will take 10mins. Then email it back to us at rhulparentscarers@gmail.com. We need this input, to make sure you can complete your course, that you have equal opportunity, and that you have support throughout your time here. We need to know what you think

If you study at RHUL with a Student Parent and/or Carer, please do pass this on.

RHWACA

SURHUL passes motion to create a Student parents and carers representative!

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:47:00 +0000

At the General meeting this week on Tuesday, our motion to create a Student parents and carers representative position on the Inclusion and Representation Senate was starred and passed. This a brilliant first step in our campaign for better representation and inclusion for student parents and carers at Royal Holloway. The next step is to get the role filled! Look out for our questionnaire and advertising on campus!

As soon as we get the role filled and more information on what student parents and carers need from their uni we can power on with dealing with the issues that they face and look at what more our uni can provide.

This campaign has been developed with SURHUL's current Vice-president of Education and Welfare, Katie Blow. Although we are sad to here that she will not be in the same position next year, we look forward to doing what we can this academic year and making sure we carry on next year with the new VP ED-Wel.

RWHACA

NUS Save 'Care to Learn' Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:24:00 +0000

Taken from The National Union of Students website

"The National Union of Students (NUS) today (Friday 3rd Feb) welcomed news from the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) that there will be no changes to the Care to Learn childcare support scheme for teenage parents in further education. The news comes after the scheme was put under review by the Department for Education, who were seeking to reduce its scope for future years. NUS have been campaigning for the retention of the scheme, which 77% of recipients said was essential in enabling them to attend college, and which reduced the rate of teenage parents who were not in education, employment or training. All but a handful of the recipients were young women. The NUS campaign involved work with a number of partner organisations including the Daycare Trust, Platform 51, the British Youth Council and the University and College Union.

Estelle Hart, NUS National Women’s Officer, said: “Care to Learn is a lifeline to many young parents who are looking to continue their education whilst caring for their children. “When it was put under review there was a great deal of concern that it would be latest victim of cuts which disproportionately affecting young people and women. “NUS made a concerted effort to demonstrate the value of Care to Learn to officials and we’re delighted that the recognise its importance and hope that they will continue to do so in the future.” "

This is great and empowering news for the RHWACA's Better Care to Learn Campaign. Next week a motion will be going through at the RHUL Student Union General meeting for a Student Parents and Carers Representative position to be made on the Student's Union Inclusion and Representation senate. I urge anyone at RHUL who is able to vote, to go along and support this.

You can also contact us at: rhulparentscarers@gmail.com

RHWACA

Campaigning for better care to learn

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:02:00 +0000

Some students are parents and carers.

Not many people think about this.

And not all these Students are mature students. You can't tell if the person next you in your lecture has a child; their extra adult responsibilities aren’t written across their T-shirt. They don't all shout out in the mornings about how they were up hours before you getting their child(ren) ready to take them to nursery or how they or in the afternoons how they can't stay around long because they have to pick up their child(ren). You might not notice their absence while your raving in the SU at one in the morning or waiting for the bar break during on General Meeting evenings.

I think its fair to say that not many people fully understand how much or what lack of support carers get until they become one. I for one picked Royal Holloway because it was the best university for my course. I didn't have account for anyone else. I was going to live on campus, I didn't have to think about childcare, or travel or child benefits. But if I did I would probably pick a university that suited me as a carer. Its hard work to get in to higher education, it takes allot more when you are a carer. I don’t think that having a efficient support and being represented is too much to ask.

What would you do if you got pregnant while at Uni? Who is there to help and support you while you go through everything? whatever the choice you make. How do you start going about finance? What if wanted to get in contact with management or your SU to talk about changes that could help you?

“Early figures from UCAS show that higher fees are dissuading more women than men from going to university. In further education the Government has proposed to cut 'Care to Learn' which helps support young parents with childcare costs whilst they study. Over 99% of young people receiving Care to Learn are women. On top of this, cuts to local authority budgets are seeing vital local services such as Sure Start centres being cut. This of course is in addition to the fact that unemployment is rising quicker among women than men as the Government cuts back on the public sector.”

Receivers of care to learn are usually in college level institutions. Royal Holloway women against cuts should be campaigning to keep this funding for parents and carers and also campaign to improve access and support for carers at RHUL. We have many ideas on the run, including introducing a carers officer in the SU and creating a support group system for carers to enable to discus ideas that could be passed through the SU and college to make life at university better for them. If you want to get involved please email rhwaca@gmail.com

RHWACA

RHUL Feminism Society & Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago Royal Holloway Feminism society voted to be officially against public sector cuts. The society also voted for Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts, (a groupcampaigning against gender discriminating public sector cuts, which was previously a women's sister group of RH anti cuts alliance, and RHUL Fem Soc.), to become an official campaign associated with the Feminism Society organised solely by women but open to all.

What does this mean? It means that Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts will become a more stable campaign. Like Fem Soc's other Campaign - Zero Tolerance, it will be associated Fem Soc, however anyone who cares about the campaign can get involved. It also makes more sense having this type of connection than having two septate campaigns on campus that are both campaigning against gender discriminatory cuts.

Organised solely by women but open to all? Originally Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts was set up because there was a need for a space for women to get together talk about cuts effecting women and and organise ways to campaign. In order to keep that sense of “women organising women” but at the same to include other genders that want to get involved, it was voted that the campaign would be organised by women but open to all.

So please don't be put off by the name Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts. Think of it as Royal Holloway Students against thegender discriminating cuts … but shorter! There's a load of things we want to do this year, a few of them being campaigning around how cuts effecting students who are also carers and cuts that are effecting women’s mental health and safety.

RHWACA

Merry Christmas Platform 51 from RHUL Women Against Cuts!

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:23:00 +0000

On the 1st of December the RHWACA hosted a fund raising night at one of our uni's venues Medicine. The night was called 'When I grow up' and the theme involved students coming dressed as what they wanted to be when they grew up. We had alice in wonderland style cupcakes with career tags attached to them we also had a photo booth, djs and a raffle. The night was a great chance to talk to people about Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts and Plat form 51. Also on the run up to the event we had a cake sale on campus to raise the funds we needed to set the event. All in all we raised £88 which will be on its way soon. We hope to work with Platform 51 more in the future :)

More Photos to be uploaded on the photos page soon.

RHWACA

Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts Protest: The On and Off Campus Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:11:00 +0000

The 30th of November saw two great things happen, National Strike action and Royal Holloway students going into occupation in protest of the raise in tuition fees and the privatisation of education.

On Campus Report - Women at the Occupation

The past suffragettes and alumni of Royal Holloway would be proud of the occupation of the Prinipal's corridor. Proud, because not only are women playing an important role in this peaceful protest, but because we are doing this alongside other genders in equality.

The washing up, the cleaning, the cooking of communal meals, are all attended to as the situation requires. Now these are just the household aspects of communal living, but the Chair for General Meetings are also rotated. This is done in a way to be unbiased towards gender or sexuality, and is always done by someone different, even novice. We also use the general consensus model (waving hands as if in a jazz musical to express agreement, disagreement or proposals). This encourages every single one of us to stand up and take part, but more importantly reveals that our opinion as an individual, our involvement as an individual, is valued.

This corridor, which is part of the Principles office in the east wing of Founders, used to be known as the "Testosterone Corridor" according to Dr Edith Hall. This attitude could not be further from the current corridor, which now values each person, no matter their predominant hormone. Incidentally, Edith has recently resigned from Royal Holloway over the cuts to her classics department, and the university has not fought to keep her despite her prestige in regards to Homer.

So, you wanted to know about women in occupation at Royal Holloway? We're not standing alone, we're part of a bigger picture. If management were expecting their "Testosterone Corridor" to remain untouched, they might be surprised to find their single gender toilets transformed by a cheerful sign declaring them 'Gender Neutral'. Take that, management.

Off Campus Report - Women on Strike

November 30^th has been declared the biggest ever strike by women of this country. Women are the majority of the low paid public sector workers, the first to be pushed out of part time work and dominate the teaching profession. Once again they are the main target of the government cuts. Women, men and children of all ages spent hours on the picket line of schools, hospitals and jobcentres. My old school, renowned for its previous lack of activism on strike days boasted a line of forthright teachers. But the picket lines were only the start of the day, local unions commenced on rallies and joined to march once again of the streets of central London. However unique about this demonstration were the mirroring actions in communities across the United Kingdom; 20,000 in Nottingham, 20,000 in Manchester and 15,000 in Liverpool as just part of the estimates thousand. It was a localised strike showing communities public sector discontent. To David Cameron it may have been a ‘damp squib’ but to me it was bloody beautiful.

Marching with 30,000 angry workers was as inspiring as ever, however for me this march held a particular significance, it was the first time I had marched side by side with my mum, a public sector Teaching Assistant. Like so many others this was her first ever strike. The many banners came from local trade union branches representing youth centres at risk, nurseries facing crippling cuts and of course the National Women Against the Cuts Group. So many of the marchers were defending the services from their own communities, not just the ideologies of a Tory government, but the direct impact this has had on individuals. They were marching for their livelihood.

The culminating rally represented the diversity of the twenty unions involved, and how impressive this action had truly been; with only 13% of schools unaffected, 42% of ambulance servers on strike and 400,000 NHS workers striking. To hear at the opening of the march that Royal Holloway had gone into occupation once more was a massive boost to the feelings of solidarity, and the power of united action. With the public sector being the biggest single employer of women, and the proclaimed biggest strike of a generation, this was a hugely significant step to fighting back against the governments vindictive cuts.

RHWACA

PRESS RELEASE: ROYAL HOLLOWAY STUDENTS OCCUPY MANAGEMENT CORRIDOR

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:11:00 +0000

Press Release taken from Rhul Aca Website

For immediate release: Wednesday 30th September 2011

Education activists occupy Royal Holloway management corridor

Today at 1.18pm GMT Royal Holloway students, including activists from Royal Holloway Anti-Cuts Alliance (RHACA) and the Save Classics campaign, occupied the senior management corridor at Royal Holloway, University of London. Demands have been issued to the Principal, asking Senior Management to withdraw staff redundancy notices and for the Principal to sign a ‘Pledge’ issued on Wednesday 23rd November 2011 against cuts, restructuring, the HE white paper and fees.

RHACA, who are affiliated to the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC), have been joined by a fresh wave of new education activists, galvanised by the restructuring taking place at the university and a fast-growing education campaign within the Students’ Union of Royal Holloway, University of London (SURHUL). Students handed their demands to the Principal and discussions took place about the absence of students from decision making processes and a lack of consultation over major issues, as well as the lack of response regarding the recent pledge. Students have also asked that management allow free access in and out of the occupation for all students and lecturers.

“At Royal Holloway there’s been a serious lack of any meaningful consultation over the restructuring taking place,” said one activist. “We’ve held lobbies and issued the Principal’s Pledge and management haven’t even had the courtesy to reply.”

Another activist said, “The white paper will make way for privatization and a market in higher education, and Royal Holloway has already said it will be charging £9,000 fees. Rather than enter into any sort of democratic discussion, the management are carrying out their own plans regardless of bothering to find out what students actually think.”

“College management have been unable to provide any economic or business case for the redundancy notices they’re issuing to our lecturers, which is unbelievable considering we’re raking in a huge surplus year on year.”

Students have also expressed their support for the public sector workers strike, and say they will leave when demands are met.

Facebook Page

Ends

Cut in all Ways: The Impact on Equality @ the Women's Library

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:06:00 +0000

By Vicki Iglikowski

Despite a poor audience at the Women’s Library on Wednesday 9 November it was refreshing to see a mainstream institution tackling and acknowledging the undeniable inequality the cuts are creating, particularly in concern to gender.

An early comment remarking that it was a shame attendance had been affected by the student protests seemed to illustrate how disconnected from the wider anti-cuts movement the event was – was it not rather incredibly relevant?! It did however mean Diane Abbott was unable to attend; it would have been interesting to hear a politician’s perspective on the gender imbalance, despite the certainty of bland rhetoric. Indeed this events strength was also its weakness, lacking radicalism it instead tried to mainstream the issues and move from the standard ground of preaching to the already converted.

Despite the Fawcett Societies complete avoidance of political bias their strength is their factual analysis of the lack of economic necessity and blatant misogynistic bias of the cuts targets.
When analysing the gender impact of the cuts it is necessary to first investigate the pre-existing disadvantages faced by women, the 17.5% pay gap, the 22% minority of MP’s in parliament and lower figures around the judiciary, the pensions bias that means women will on average retire on 2/3 of what men will have, and the general patriarchal system they are part of.

Anna Bird, Fawcett’s Acting Chief Executive, added weight to previous arguments describing a concept of ‘triple jeopardy’ faced by women, which took the form of three points:
1. Women will be hit hardest by job cuts in the public sector
2. Women will be hit hardest as the services and benefits they use more are cut
3. Women will be left ‘filling the gaps’ as state services are withdrawn

As we are already aware public sector cuts fall on women particularly harshly; as an employer and a receiver of services. It is the biggest female employer in the labour sector and its employees are disproportionately women, often providing services which themselves support the community. The public sector pay gap is 10%, while in the private sector it is 20%, cuts threaten the public sector progress in women’s wage discrepancy. As more men take part time work, women are expected to be pushed out of this work which suits childrearing more. The public sector should be invested in and jobs created, it is the purpose of the government to ride the wave of the ‘recession’. Female unemployment is its highest for 23 years, and if women are able to find work it is the cost of childcare that is once again driving women away from the possibility of choice, indeed ¼ of lone mothers have had to give up work due to the cuts in childcare support already.

Cuts have meant:
• Women will be hit hardest as the services and benefits they use more are cut, 1/5 of women’s income comes from state support compared to 1/10 of men’s.
• The Health and Pregnancy Grant has been entirely removed.
• The abolition of the successful National Women's Commission in favor of an organization focused on equality amongst high earning women.
As such women will have to fill the gaps, as careers, mothers or single parents. As well as taking local volunteer positions in David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ to provide vital services such as Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Centres.
Due to Abbots absence London Metropolitan University lecturer Dr Lenna Kumarappan gave a talk on ethnic minorities and working advice, which provided a case study for an area the cuts effect. Studying Ealing, Southall and Lambeth, she noted that of 64 centres providing working advice had been already to reduced to 56, mainly situated in London, and the much less specialised Citizens Advice Centres were also facing similar reductions. Many such centres also opened within working hours and lacked the campaigning strengths once so prevalent. A debate on the floor was then chaired by Sarah Veale CBE, TUC Head of Equality and Employment Rights , which encouraged audience questions and discussion. This raised the need to critique Fawcett’s own legal challenge which attempted to force a gender assessment of the Budget. This interaction on the issue of women and the cuts was impressive to witness.

For an event for which I had low expectations it provided me with an up to date fact sheet, as Fawcett always does, to refer back to and counter our attackers, however the biggest perk of the evening was certainly Diane Abbots absence allowing me a free ticket to a far more interesting event of Gertrude Tuckwell, an late 19th century union leader!

Vicky Iglikowski

Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts Photo Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:14:00 +0000

If you are wondering where the pictures in the background come from, well its part of the Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts Photo Campaign! Inspired by the Fawcett day of action: Don't turn back time on Women's equality. Click on the images for larger viewing :)

RHWACA

Professor Edith Hall, one of Britain's top classicists, quits in row over university budget cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:17:00 +0000

Taken From The Guardian

One of Britain's most respected classicists, Edith Hall, has resigned as head of a leading academic department in protest at impending budget cuts.
Despite winning the support of well-known Classics enthusiasts such as Boris Johnson, Stephen Fry and the literary theorist Terry Eagleton, Professor Hall said she had been pushed to "tipping point" by management.
The decision by Hall, a world expert on Homer, is said to have left fellow academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, demoralised.
Her resignation comes as the latest high-level protest at shrinking budgets in the humanities and social sciences. After campaigning successfully for several months to prevent deeper cuts at Royal Holloway with her "Save Classics" campaign, Hall is to take up a new post at King's College, London, in April. Many of her students will move with her.
"You cannot have a serious university without the study of the Greeks and Romans, as Terry Eagleton has said. It is a tragedy because we were really building something here," said Hall.
For months, the professor had fought what she saw as a threat to her department, arising from doubts over the number of students it was able to attract in future. "What is being proposed is an ideological grudge against Classics disguised as speculation," said Hall. "We have managed to defer some of the plans, but you can't apply for research grants if you don't know what level of staff you will have. The management at Royal Holloway has shot itself in the foot."

For the full article click here

RHWACA

Royal Holloway Women @ Reclaim the Night 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Together we are taking a stand against gender-based violence and towards a safer society. A key chant that sums up yesterday evening is “Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no”. Last night was Reclaim the Night, and under the dark November sky we marched, we sang, we chanted through the streets of London to reclaim them as our own.

Royal Holloway Feminism Society

Since 2004, Reclaim the Night has protested against violence against women, and last night this cause was united with protests against the government cuts as well. It is a women only march, due to women being disproportionately affected by sexual violence. For example, 1 in 20 reported rapes in the UK are never convicted, and there are an estimated 40,000 rapes every year. It is also in support of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which was on Friday.

Nonetheless, all genders were welcome at the end rally in Camden, where we unified in protest to the coming changes that will shape our future but not for the better. As Kate Smurthwaite, Abortion Rights Spokeperson put it: “No, Mr Cameron, we will not calm down. We will never calm down.”

Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton

SURHUL Gender Equality Officer

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:55:00 +0000

Today’s Guardian contains a letter, signed by many prominent feminists, entitled ‘Legal aid cuts put women in danger’, and it is as simple as the title phrases it. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women we should remember that when legal aid was established by the 1949 Legal Aid and Advice Act it was a founding feature of the welfare state, providing people without the means access to legal representation. Least of all it is vital to focus on when 45% of women continue to have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Legal support is a vital feature of any decent society, and yet it is currently facing ruthless cuts which will shamelessly target the vulnerable, including women, ethnic minorities and the disabled. Cuts to the family courts neglect to recognize the importance of family and the home in daily life.

The fearless legal battles of the Southall Black Sisters has lead to the protection of ‘domestic violence’ cases, but the government neglects to acknowledge the affects are more diverse than bruises. The definition of domestic violence is constantly narrowing not taking into account the wider, less explicit, complications which arise from such situations, such as subsequent debt and financial consequences. The Law Society has proposed alternative means of cutting expense, but these have been continually ignored. Access to legal aid is not a privilege but a basic necessity, and it is necessary to fight changes more than ever today with such persistent violence against women.

Today Royal Holloway Feminism society launched our Zero tolerance Campaign on campus with a "cant touch this" dance mob in great customised T-shirts.

The Zero Tolerance Campaign is an anti-sexual harassment campaign created by the NUS Women’s Campaign- though of course it would apply to ALL students, regardless of gender!

It is a campaign designed to be implemented in students’ unions, to show that SUs will not tolerate sexual harassment in their establishments – and we want to implement it here at SURHUL!

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is any sexual behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable. This includes, but is not limited to:

unwanted sexual comments,

inappropriate touching/ groping,

someone exposing their sexual organs to you without your consent.

Why do we need the Zero Tolerance Campaign?

The NUS Women’s Campaign conducted a national survey into sexual harassment on university campuses.

The Hidden Marks survey found that 68% of women students are subjected to sexual harassment while at university or college.

We believe that there is a culture in students’ unions, in which sexual harassment is seen as acceptable, “just a bit of fun”. We need to change this attitude so that studentsfeel safer in our union.

What will Zero Tolerance mean for our union?

Implementing the Zero Tolerance Campaign will mean that any reported incidents of sexual harassment are taking seriously. Students’ union staff will be trained to deal with any reported cases, and to treat victims with respect. The student’s union’s disciplinary policy will be updated to specifically take into account sexual harassment, which will mean offenders can be punished accordingly. There will also be promotional material in the union (e.g. posters in the toilets) so that people are aware of the campaign

and know how to report sexual harassment.

How can I get involved?

For more information on the Zero Tolerance Campaign, including more information on the Hidden Marks survey, visit www.nusconnect.org.uk/ You can also email SURHUL Feminism Society at rhulfeminism@gmail.com

Look out for our own sexual harassment survey in the coming weeks – please complete it so that we know how prevalent sexual harassment is at RHUL.

Finally, look out for a motion on Zero Tolerance being proposed at a GM next term – keep an eye on www.su.rhul.ac.uk to find out when this will be, and please come along and vote for Zero Tolerance!

Vicky Iglikowski and Jasmine Wyeth

RHWACA

IS THIS AS GOOD AS IT GETS? The case for class struggle feminism Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:02:00 +0000

This Saturday on November 26, 2011 at UCL, women members and supporters of the Alliance for Workers' Liberty are holding a conference to debate the issues facing women in the era of capitalist crisis and cuts, learn from past battles and revive a class struggle feminist movement.

People of all genders welcome.

***
Women’s lot under capitalism is, for most, that of low-paid wage slavery, with the double burden of the bulk of the responsibility for childrearing, housework and caring being placed ﬁrmly on our shoulders; then there’s the enormous pressures of how we should look, behave and act. The chances of achieving any real freedoms or reaching our individual and collective potential is impossible under capitalism.

The lot of working class women is made even worse at times like these when capitalism is in crisis. It’s working class women who are hit hardest when jobs are cut and services slashed.

The case for class struggle feminism is the case for a distinct feminism based on smashing the oppression of the majority of women - working class women. The liberation of working class women is the liberation of humanity. This conference is a space to discuss these ideas and organise action for freedom.

Class struggle feminists care little about glass ceilings that stop middle class women from becoming bosses and exploiting working class women and men. It's the class ceiling we’re out to smash!
Tickets: £10 waged, £5 low-waged/students and £2 unwaged/school students.

http://www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets
Free creche - please email women@workersliberty.org or call Jill on 07904 944 771 to register by 21 November. (If you realise you need the creche after that's fine - give us a call- we would just like to have an idea of numbers beforehand).
Free accommodation available - please email women@workersliberty.org or call 07970 820 401 if you need it for the Friday and/or Saturday night.
Cheap food and refreshments, plus stalls available throughout the day. women@workersliberty.

org www.workersliberty.org/women www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets

07883 520 852

RHWACA

RHWACA REPORTS BACK ON: Don’t Turn Back Time on Women’s Equality

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:29:00 +0000

It was a fresh and sunny winter morning when we reached Westminster. We were surrounded by women, men and children of all ages together chanting “Our tradition: fighting not submission!” Placards were held high, coloured scarves were wrapped in 1950s hairstyles, around necks and the autumn leaves crunched beneath our determined feet.

You would be forgiven for thinking you had walked into the wrong era. But this is out era and, like our grandmothers before us, we were standing up for equality.

Did you know that a retired government worker receives £4,000 per year, but that a female retired government worker receives just £2,800 per year? This is just one example of the many inequalities that exist, which will only be exacerbated by the coming cuts.

Women’s unemployment is rising due to most part-time workers being female, and in a precarious employment market these jobs are the first to be dispensed with.

Should a woman attempt to return to work after maternity leave, retraining is difficult to find and in some cases they are advised to stack shelves in supermarkets despite having university degrees.

Stress is a main contributor to mental health issues in men and women. Due to the current cuts crisis, women are likely to be forced to take on more roles assigned to their gender. This includes housework and childcare. This drags these women into a poverty cycle. The cycle is due to current unemployment, a lack of opportunities and an unfulfilled need of accessible support.

The government cuts to the public sector mostly affect women as providers of the service and as receivers. Two-thirds of public sector workers are female. Not only are their jobs and their livelihoods being axed but also the services that they rely on such as childcare are eliminated.

Private sector jobs are receiving government investment, but these jobs tend to be male dominated with few childcare options for both current female employees and future applicants.

Every day women around you are subject to some casual form of discrimination or to some sexist remark, so much so that it is not even noticed and a reaction to this provocation is ridiculed.

Our now mild grandmothers had previously fought relentlessly and passionately for the choices we all take for granted today. Let’s not forget that these are our rights, not our privileges. We shouldn’t let our foremothers efforts go to waste. After all, none of us would even be alive if it weren’t for them.

So don’t turn back time on equality and show your support for the November 30^th strikes, get involved with your Student’s Union, your RHUL Women Against Cuts Alliance, your Feminist Society. Together, let’s accelerate towards a time that we would all like to live in.

Read Fawcett report for more information.

By Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton and Martina Cavallo.
RHWACA

RHWACA @ FEM11

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:10:00 +0000

On the 12th of November some us went to Uk Feminista's Fem 11 Conference in London. It was a very enlightening event and we all made sure we went to as many workshops and talks as possible so we could report back to you.

Fawcett Society: Don't turn back time! Protesting against cuts that will harm women's equality.

The RHWACA have found the Fawcett Society very helpful since we started, and they’ve given us lots of information on how the public sector cuts will and are harming women. Their workshop identified the effects of the cuts on women omen's equality such as more unemployment, lower incomes, childcare costs, fewer choices, pensions etc. They also wanted women every where to sign the petition calling on David Cameron to adopt the Life Raft, a report made up of recommendations to the Government that will make life better for families, low income mothers, victims of violence and older women. Overall telling the government not to Turn Back Time on Women's Equality.

Platform 51 – A Different perspective: teenage mums and feminism.

Not being a teenage mum myself but knowing many teenage mums personal I had bit an Idea of the struggles and the revelations discovered by young people when the become parents. However this workshop which was given by the women’s charity platform 51 young mums who the charity had help was really insightful. We discussed about how childcare and other benefits were making it even more difficult to get back into education especially now the care to learn funding for young carers in under threat, limiting who gets the money by age. Also the carers they are most likely to go into are under threat and we also discussed pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. If the care to learn grant is limited to carers 18 and under, higher education for those over 18 is going to be even harder to get into, this something I think we should be highlighting at RHUL and universities everywhere.

End Violence Against Women Coalition

This was a very interesting session which focused largely on the sexualisation of women and girls and to what extent it contributes to violence against women. For example, sexualisation contributes to sexual harassment against girls at school, and also to young women being accepting of rape and seeing rape as normal. EVAW then showed us a video from their new campaign, called “We are Man”, which encourages men to be “real men” by speaking out against violence against women and girls. Ending violence against women and girls is a fundamental issue that needs to be focused on more in society, so it is really important to support the EVAW Coalition and it felt very empowering to hear so many feminists contributing to a discussion around this issue.  

White Ribbon Campaign

The WRC is a men’s group that campaigns against men’s violence against women. We discussed how we can get more men involved in the movement, for example, by challenging the institutionalisation of patriarchal gender norms and by being careful not to treat men as a homogenous group. Getting men involved in the feminist movement is very important, and this was an interesting session as it was good to hear men’s views on this issue; however, women still outnumbered men at this session by quite a long way!

Southall Black Sisters

Migration, cohesion and religion: A gendered perspective from SBS

The Southall Black Sisters have always believed race, gender and class to be indivisible; the session thus discussed the cumulative effects of the cuts. With 1 in 5 women’s organisations to be closed, 60% of refuges and 70% of outreach programmes having no funding from April 2012 it is important to recognise those who will be disadvantaged the most. Welfare state cuts have lead to religions organisations increasingly taking over services – such as the care of victims of human trafficking being moved from the Poppy Project to the Salvation Army. This is increasingly happening at a local level as the state fails to provide, and legal aid cuts will only exacerbate this situation, particularly for minority groups. The Sisters concluded by demanding we MUST defend out secular spaces, once our services are gone, they are GONE, these have taken decades and centuries to fight for: ‘We need to dissent, we need to make noise, we need to collaborate!’

The Centre for Women and Democracy

Party Games: can women work across party lines to create a new politics? Identifying a democratic deficiency of feminist voices in formal politics the Centre for Women and Democracy aimed to ask whether it was possible to get women to work across party lines on ‘women’s issues’. The interactive discussion raised a range of questions (‘why isn’t there a feminist party?’ prompted rapturous cheers). It was agreed that gender representation should be proportional not for human rights and equality quotas but because as 53% of the population and the majority of primary careers for dependants, women’s opinions are pretty important and valid. The session concluded that the governing system need to allow a greater space to work across party lines and that while the numbers of women in parliament are increasing, diversity of men and women has decreased; indeed would a cabinet of female millionaires really make that much difference?

Rights of Women

Listening to ‘Rights of Women’, I learnt that the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Crown Prosecution Service (amongst many others in the UK) had been using an internationally accepted definition for domestic violence. This definition included psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse. However, a new Bill has passed which defines abuse as purely sexual or physical, and have minimised access to free legal aid. Not only this, but before the Bill going to your GP or a refuge could count as evidence, and now only protective injunction within the last 12 months is considered evidence beyond reasonable doubt. This is due to the government’s cuts: narrowing the definition, restricting the evidence required and minimising legal aid saves them time and money, whilst keeping up international appearances with its apparent support for physical abuse.

Refugees for Refugee Women

The following talk by ‘Refugees for Refugee Women’ described the Asylum process here in the UK. These women face the difficulties of being systematically accused of lying and many are left in a state of limbo by the Home Office for anything between 5 to 10 years, before being sent back to the place they fled or being finally granted asylum. During this limbo, the women have nowhere to stay apart from the streets or any charity with enough space, they cannot get any work although they would like to, and their lives are held in this temporary and uncertain state while they worry about their loved ones in their homeland and struggle with cultural differences and daily needs. These women didn’t become brave and strong through choice but necessity, and while the system needs to be changed, all they ask for is someone to lend an ear.

Susuana, Jasmine, Vicky, Sidonie

RHWACA

RHWACA Marches on the 19th Nov: FAWCETT DAY OF ACTION

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:44:00 +0000

On average, women earn less, own less, and are more likely to work and retire in poverty than men.

The government’s approach to cutting the deficit will widen the gap between women and men:

Female unemployment is rising as jobs are cut in public service

The benefits and services women rely on more are being slashed

Women on low incomes are becoming poorer

The pay gap looks set to widen

Women’s access to vital support services is being undermined

Increasing numbers of women are being forced to give up work as cuts to childcare support means their jobs no longer cover the family’s care costs

The government’s approach to cutting the deficit is turning back time on women’s equality.

This can’t go on.

RHUL Women Against Cuts Marches: Don't Turn Back Time

Meet at Egham Train Station at 10h30 to catch the train together into London and to Temple Tube, where the March begins.

It finishes at 13h30 at King Charles Street with a rally.

The theme: 1950s vintage.
People: No matter your gender, join us.

Grab the hair gel, lipstick and headscarves; we're making a stand.

Let's make Holloway proud!

RHWACA

RHWACA EVENT When I Grow UP @ Medicine ON 1ST DEC

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:55:00 +0000

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Donations from the event will go to Platform 51, a charity that supports girls and women as they take control of their lives by programmes from our women-only centres which are in some of most deprived areas of England and Wales. But we also work in schools, community centres, youth clubs, mother and baby units, prisons, online and more. Vital services and benifits which many girls, women and mothers need are being thretened by public sector cuts which make charitys like Platform 51 even more important.

RHWACA

RHWACA and RHUL FEM SOC @ NOV 9TH DEMO

noreply@blogger.com (Royal Holloway Women Against Cuts) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:06:00 +0000

On the 9th of november Royal Holloway Student Union, along with Royal Holloway Feminism Society and Women Against Cuts took to the streets with thousand of students to protest against the government’s plans for cuts and privatisation in Higher Education. We easly had on of the biggest banners. Well done to everyone that came to the banner making session :)

RHWACA