Swansea Students' Union Elections - Womens' Officer.

For all of you unfortunates who don't have the luxury of coming to Swansea University with its sea views and fog covering them up about 90% of the time, you may not know that it is currently elections week.
Normally, this means that you take the long way into uni, just so as not to be accosted by over-eager candidates trying to barter for your vote. This week is my version of the week-long fitness regime.

However, this year, it's getting particularly dirty. It's scandolous, and I LOVE scandal. Oh yus.

This year, the the post of womens' officer has four candidates running for the role, but there is one in particular who seems to be the source of much contention.

Lets look at her manifesto:
My name is Millie and I believe our Union must identify with the needs of its students. The current position of Women’s Officer is outdated and needs to be replaced with an ‘Equalities Officer’. If you vote for me as Women’s Officer I will transform the role into a position that promotes equality to all social groups as the current position only identifies women. Every inequality should be addressed – not just one. Black, LGBT+ and students with disabilities are currently under-represented and unheard in this position. If you elect me, I will represent these people with integrity, respect and urgency by:
- Working closely with all ethnic minorities to guarantee integration and respect.
- Meeting with the LGBT+ and Feminist Networks on a regular basis, uniting them for the greater cause and giving them a greater voice.
- Ensuring that facilities for those with disabilities are constantly improved and expanded upon.
- Embracing cultural identity and awareness of all religious beliefs across campus.
- Helping women fight against domestic violence, and offering friendly advice about abortion, contraception and pregnancy.
- Co-operating with all other elected part, and full-time officers to stamp out discrimination.
One Union, One Cause, One Love. 
(Taken from the Swansea Students' Union website).

Firstly, I completely agree that the post of womens' officer is completely outdated and illogical; and for that matter, I don't agree with elections where at least one elected member has to be female. I don't care what sex you are as long as you can represent me to the best of your ability in a fair manner; for what it's worth, I identify as female, left-wing and a feminist, so I'm not holding that this is a view held solely by right wing middle class men. My argument lies in that all former discrimination laws have been unified under the Equality Act 2010, so why can't the Students' Union take a similar position? The Equality Act 2010 encompasses all forms of discrimination, whether it be gender, race, or age based, as well as disability, transgender, and maternity & paternity rights.

The big bone of contention is how Millie is running her election campaign. Millie is basing it on the stereotypical idea of the woman in the home - cooking, cleaning, ironing, and looking after small fluffy animals. Now, whilst the majority of us can understand that this is obviously a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour, there are some people who don't seem to be able to take a joke. And this is where this lovely note from Facebook comes in from Steph Lloyd, NUS Wales' Womens' Officer.

First off, why does she feel that it is appropriate to be judging a candidate in this fashion? Yes, I understand she believes Millie to be sexist, but honestly, if she can't understand that this is a campaign designed to make you think again about the role women hold, then I'm concerned.

There's also this gem from the current womens' officer within Swansea Students' Union, Eleri Jones:

"Email from Eleri

Dear all,

I am writing this email with deep concern regarding a candidate who is in the process of running for Women's Officer in my Students' Union. Currently, she has not been told that her manifesto breaches any laws, or any of our SU Policies. I have not been in contact with the candidate, but have voiced my concerns to our General Manager, who seems to think this candidate is allowed to run in these elections, due to the fact that her campaign seems legal.

The candidate in question has submitted her manifesto, which allegedly involves the following:

1. The slogan "Keep women in the Kitchen"

2. Policies on free cooking and ironing lessons for women students only

3. Her campaign team is going to be wearing aprons rather than campaign T-Shirts during campaign week

4. Her team will be using brooms and dusters as props in her video

As I am the current Women's Officer, I am not allowed to see this candidate's manifesto. I am also openly supporting another candidate, which means I am biased. However, my concerns are due to three specific areas:

1. I believe that her manifesto and the tone of her campaign may breach our 'Equal and Non-Discriminatory' Policy which states that: "[the Union] will not publish or make use of any promotional material that degrades, unjustly hurts or discriminates against the identity of its members." And further that: "the objectification of women's bodies has significantly contributed to the degradation, disempowerment and oppression of women that the civil rights movement has campaigned against for many years." I would like to make it clear that we have been contacted by a concerned student who has seen the full manifesto, and believes it to be both offensive and sexist to women.

2. In my job description/remit, it states that: "The Womens' campaign believes that women should be treated as equals and that a society without discrimination is beneficial to all." And further that the Key Roles include:

-Responsible for running and co-ordinating campaigns relating to women's liberation including; Equal pay, Employment Opportunities, Anti-Domestic Violence, Personal Safety, Womens' Health, Pro- Choice, Pregnancy and Harassment etc.

-Work towards combating discrimination to women within the University and wider society.

3. I have spoken to the two chairs of the University's Gender Equality Working Group, and they have categorically stated that a Women's Officer who has publicly displayed sexist views would not be allowed to sit on the following University Boards:
- The Gender Equality Working Group
- The Equal Opportunities Working Group

Sitting on these committee boards is a huge part of the work of the Women's Officer. It is an essential part of the job. If she were unable to fulfill this post, the Union and student representation would suffer.

4. Here at Swansea, we have a Union-wide Zero Tolerance Policy, which states that sexism, in any form, is unacceptable. I believe this campaign would go against this policy.

My additional concerns include the following:

1. That if she runs in this election, some women students may no longer consider my role to be serious and/or important
2. By making a public joke of the Women's Officer position, it puts Liberation issues in jeopardy within our Union
3. That my concerns and worries are not going to be taking seriously by the Union, due to my openness about being a feminist and the fact that this campaign is for my position.

I genuinely believe that by allowing a candidate to run for a Liberation position such as this, especially being as we hold the only Full Time Women's Officer role in Wales. we are putting the position under threat, as well as allowing sexism to have a platform. By allowing a candidate to breach two policies, and run for a position which she clearly believes to be redundant, we are being immoral and not considering our members and their representation.

We would never allow a racist to run for the position of Black Students' Officer. We would never allow students to openly enact sexist roles and wear costumes which re-enforce objectification and sexist views. We do not allow our ENTS team to promote sexist events, and yet this case is apparently non-problematic. However, I am currently on my own in this, and need some advice and support.

Our elections begin on the 15th of March. Looking forward to your response,


Regards,

Eleri Jones | Women's Officer/ Swyddog Menywod "

 I honestly do not feel represented by Eleri, the officer who went round Freshers' Fayre demanding society members remove their hoodies as they have innendo-based slogans on the back of them (such beauties include 'Geographers do it in the field' and 'Psychologists do it on the couch'). I am not going to have my right to make a sandwich based joke taken from me, and I certainly don't believe that these two have the right to tell a candidate what they can, and can't put into their manifesto, especially if it's satirical. (Yes, I realise that there is a line, but I don't believe that Millie is crossing it whatsoever, and I will argue that 'til I'm blue in the face if I have to). 


What is evident here is that Eleri and Steph are trying their damned hardest to cling onto a position which is outdated and detrimental to the union. The position of womens' officer screams that men can't care about womens' issues too, and it removes the chance to establish equality for all within the university, and NUS Wales. 


With that, I fully intend to back Millie's campaign. She might be contentious, but she certainly knows how to get her campaign noticed, and it's this kind of activism that we need within the union.