The University of Edinburgh have announced their Liberation Campaign Committee for the 2017/18 academic year.
This is the first year that the liberation officers will be backed by a committee team, an initiative that hopes to increase the impact of these roles.
Students Moyo, Elizabeth, and Enkuush will be undertaking the roles of Welfare, Campaigns and Events Rep respectively, backing up BME Officer Diva Mukherji.
Speaking to The Student, Events Rep Enkuush said, “Projects like LiberatED allowed me to voice my discomfort with the lack of diversity in the university curriculum and how isolating being BME at university can be.
“With the committee, we can build strong committees and networks to help mitigate such imbalances.
“In the upcoming year I want to focus on maintaining regular social events, continue to campaign and introduce a career and networking group.”
Disabled Students Officer, Chloe Marvin will be assisted by Nikhita and Isla in their roles as Welfare and Campaigns Reps.
Sitting as Welfare, Campaigns and Events Rep on the LGBT+ committee alongside LGBT+ Officer Delphi Macpherson will be Apolloniya, Fatima and Ruby.
Kathryn Pearson, Women’s Officer, will be joined on the committee by Welfare Rep Rohanie, Campaigns Rep Ellie and Events Rep Alice.
Speaking to The Student, Rohanie explained the reasoning behind the creation of the new roles.
“This is the first year they have opted to have a committee for each of the liberation roles,” she said, “in order to be able to delegate, have efficient and well balanced running of events and a team that can assist Kathryn as much as possible.”
Speaking specifically on her role she said, “as welfare rep, I will be ensuring events are entirely accessible to everyone, both planning beforehand and throughout the event.
“I’ll also be making sure that welfare is on the agenda during any and all meetings and planning meetings for events; including ensuring proposed ideas and venues are accessible.
“I will also be present for all events and acting as welfare officer if anyone were to have any concerns.
“In a more general sense, we will be supporting Kathryn in her role, and making it as efficient and smooth running as possible.
“I wanted to get involved with the committee as I have been heavily involved in Sexpression UK this past year, and so have seen first hand how fulfilling and productive being part of an active group can be.
“Being part of the women’s committee for the university felt like something I would be both good at, and also find incredibly worthwhile.
Campbell-Thakoordin also told The Student about the groups’ plans for the year ahead.
“Through our early events, we will be asking women and non-binary freshers what they would expect from a women’s committee, what they would want to get from it, and the events they would want to see throughout the year,” she said.
“For example we will be shortlisting around four charities to campaign and fundraise for during the year, with all women and non-binary students of Edinburgh University welcome to vote on which should be the focused charity.
“We will be ensuring that all new women and non-binary students to Edinburgh University know where they can obtain sexual health advice, free contraception and sanitary products, through the welcome email we will be sending out at the beginning of the semester.
“We will be focusing on the community aspect, trying to make a friendly, helpful, safe and enjoyable space for all women and non-binary students at the university,” she concluded.
To find out more about the committee members and their work, visit each group’s Facebook page.
For details of all the groups and their events, go to the Edinburgh University Students’ Association’s Liberation Campaigns Facebook page.
Image: The University Of Edinburgh
