Women
Women are no longer a minority group in higher education. In fact, they’re the majority amongst undergraduates… just. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have particular requirements. On the contrary — the more women, the more necessary it is to make universities appropriate environments.
All sorts of provisions have been put in place at some universities to ensure women aren’t compromised in getting the most out of their time as students. We’re not just talking about tampon dispensers in the toilets here (although it is an issue and, indeed, as a consequence of some SUs’ policies against VAT on euphemistically-termed feminine hygiene products, they discount them to the tune of 17.5% in their own shops).
At the forefront is the women’s officer — one of the students elected to the executive of the students’ unions. If there’s no women’s officer, that tells you something about the students’ (and possibly the university’s) level of concern. If there is a women’s officer, but she’s not sabbatical — even though there are other sabbaticals in charge of sports, the student newspaper and the charity rag — that also tells you something about priorities.
The reason the women’s officer is at the forefront is that she can ensure that other services and provisions are put in place. For example, a women’s room.
When women ask for a women-only room, the men often ask, in gruff and somewhat patronising tones, why women need a room. After all, where’s the men’s room? To which the answer is: the bar is the men’s room.
Although student bars are better than many pubs, some can be intimidating places for women students. Many feel it’s important to have somewhere they can go and retreat and not be hassled by men. For similar reasons, many women find it helpful if there’s a women’s group.
Sad to say, women’s safety is an issue too. Younger women out late at night can feel vulnerable to attack, even if there’s no specific threat. Which in itself is reason enough for provisions such as a women-only minibus after events, to take students back to their halls or even to rented accommodation if necessary.
Many students’ unions provide free or subsidised personal attack alarms and many run self-defence classes.
Many academic departments are male-dominated, as are the higher echelons of most universities and they just don’t appreciate the situation.
Not every university is the same in what it does for women. Some also face bigger problems than others regarding issues that concern women such as safety, discrimination and harassment, and some take it more seriously than others.
Last updated on: 01 May 2008