The National Union of Students today are expressing deep concern over the recent election of a male identifying women’s officer at the Tasmanian University Student Union (TUU)
NUS wishes to see women’s representation safeguarded and treated with respect at all levels.
Women’s officers on campus student organisations play a serious role in the representation of women’s needs on campus and in promoting their issues in a space that has been male dominated since its inception.
These positions of representation are autonomous meaning in this context reclaiming agency by being able to represent the views of female identifying students by female identifying students. Exclusively.
Recognising that any decisions made are also autonomous or exclusively made by women.
This situation is an affront to that, students, in particular those who are discriminated against deserve true, genuine and autonomous representation.
Today the TUU have passed a motion ensuring in future all candidates for the position of women’s officer will be required to sign a statutory declaration that they identify as a woman
TUU State President Heidi La Paglia said “It is disappointing that this situation has occurred, and regretful that members of the student community have suffered as a result”
Rose Steele NUS President, Heidi La Paglia TUU State President
