In Student Organisations, some are more equal than others
I still receive letters and emails intended for the Leader of the University of Bath Labour Club. I tend to just forward them on.
This weekend, I was invited to a “Labour Student’s Key Activists training”. In the email, I spotted something I feel is a trend in Student related organisations:
Please send two or three delegates from your Club, one of whom must be a woman
Bath Labour is a small club in a constituency held by a Liberal Democrat MP and a Tory Council (The Lib Dems recently lost control).
It’s only by some miracle and a brilliant leader that this year Labour Students eclipsed the Lib Dem Society.
The “bring a woman” rule annoys me. It is hard enough to scrape up one delegate to go to something like this, let alone two, not to mention during the summer holidays.
The rule is thus wholly impractical for a club where choice is limited at best. If three gents wanted to go to such an activity, I would be delighted. If I saw two active and enthusiastic male activists in front of me, I would hate to have to turn one a way and send a woman whose interest was lukewarm at best.
That said, I don’t know how well this rule is enforced, I would hope the organisation wouldn’t try to punish a club for sending delegates. It’s very unequal too; if we wanted to send three women, there’s nothing in the rules that state “bring a bloke”.
I use Labour Students and gender equality as anecdotal evidence, but there are many more cases within the National Union of Students.
The NUS is the home of misinterpreted solutions to social problems. The Guardian noted a few racist incidents within the system, but they might be isolated examples.
I believe in representation where representation counts. The “Womens’ Officer” should be a “Gender Equality Officer” just as much as the “Black Students’ officer” should be a “Racial Equality Officer” in striving for fairness and equality (I assume that is the intention based on my own political motivations).
I don’t believe in equality type representation on every level of an organisation, I don’t think there needs to be a “Woman’s Rep” on the finance committee. (In fact, better not have one; they’d spend all the money on shoes. Ho ho!)
The problem with student organisations is so often those good intentions don’t meet with good policies, so the diagnosis becomes warped through the misinterpretation.
It’s political correctness gone mad, don’t-cha-know!
(I didn’t even get to mention Harriet Harman. Sorry.)
August 14th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Completely agree, I often think perhaps there wouldn't be such prejudice if differences weren't so often pointed out it this way, using terms like "woman's officer" or "black officer". I don't think this kind of positive discrimination encourages equality, I think it often damages it and "Please send two or three delegates from your Club, one of whom must be a woman" – well that's just patronizing.
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August 14th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
What a daft rule! I acknowledge that it most likely is done with the best of intentions, but all too often those making the rules don't actually give much thought to the whole process, and the end result is laughable.
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August 14th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I'd love to agree. Unfotunately I think there's more to be done before we can change the emphasis of representational roles.
The problem, as I see it and certainly when it comes to representation, is a lack of general encouragement to get involved. I've seen it in London whilst campaigning.
In fact London Young Labour is having a meeting the cafe in Foyle's in London at 6.30 to discuss how they can encourage more women to get involved in London Young Labour. It is either that or a quota system which maintains a minimum of equity.
Till we do the hard work needed to encourage and equalise the involvement of different groups across the board, so they compete on an equal footing, then we need to keep imperfect rules that maintain a patronising minimum of representation.
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August 18th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Wait… we let women into universities now?
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August 20th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
haha hadleigh, you'd have had to bring me!
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August 21st, 2009 at 8:33 am
I really like your blog and i respect your work. I'll be a frequent visitor.
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