24-26 March | Solihull
Candidate manifestos
CD8
Candidates for the position of Women’s Officer
Purpose of this document
Under NUS’ election rules, the list of candidates for full time positions are circulated prior to the conference at which
they are elected. Also included with this list are the names of those who nominated each candidate and, if supplied, a
manifesto for them.
For the positions of NUS Women’s Officer each candidate needed 10 nominations from 10 different constituent
members to be submitted by 12pm on Wednesday 18 February 2015.
Full details of the election rules and schedules can be found online:
http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/ents/event/906/
As one of the purposes for which the list of candidates is published is to enable objections to eligibility to be
submitted, it will be clear that the candidates listed may not be properly qualified or validly nominated. It should be
borne in mind that this document has to be prepared before the Chief Returning Officer can decide questions relating
to qualifications of candidates and the validity of the nominations. The appearance of a candidate’s name in this
document does not therefore mean that they are duly qualified or validly nominated. The Chief Returning Officer will
report on any matters arising in this connection in due course.
Objections to the eligibility of full time candidates
Any member of NUS may object to the eligibility of candidates or their nominators. For the full time position they may
do this by contacting the chief returning officer in writing via [email protected] by 12pm on March 23 2014.
Other positions
Voting delegates at Sections Conference can nominate you for election to all other positions. To nominate you they
must sign your nomination form which will be available at the Conference. More information about other positions
available can be found in CD3 Election Rules and Schedules.
Candidates for the position of Women’s Officer
Susuana Antubam
Kelly Rogers
Re-Open Nominations (RON)
Candidate: Susuana Antubam (NUS National Executive Council)
Nominator
Zarah Sultana
Malia Bouattia
Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton
Mischa Ross
Sorana Vieru
Shakira Martin
Eve Livingston
Candice Armah
Khoutum Ogunrinde
Anna Lee
Constituent Member
Birmingham Guild of Students
NUS National Executive Council
Students' Union Royal Holloway University of London
Coleg Gwent Students' Union
University of Bristol Students' Union
LESOCO Students’ Union
Edinburgh University Students' Association
University of Brighton Students' Union
University of East Anglia Students' Union
NUS Women's Committee
Candidate name: Kelly Rogers (Birmingham Guild of Students)
Nominator
Kirsty Haigh
Constituent Member
NUS National Executive Council
Annie Teriba
Yusra Hersi-Osman
Oxford University Students’ Union
Chichester College Students’ Union
Tania Sauma
Jennifer Mills
University of Manchester Students’ Union
Students’ Union Royal Holloway University of London
Kelly Teeboon
Rachel O’Brien
Liverpool Students’ Union
Birmingham Guild of Students
Hannah Sketchley
Lina Nass
University College London Union
Aberdeen University Students’ Association
Hope Worsdale
Warwick University Students’ Union
Supporting statements
Susuana Antubam
Susuana Antubam is the current NUS National Women's Officer. Before being elected at NUS, Susuana was previously
the University of London union sabbatical women's officer and the Royal Holloway Feminism Society President and
winner of the 2013 NUS Inspirational Woman Student of the Year Award. Currently, Susuana co chairs the National
Lad Culture Strategy Team, spearheading the creation of the lad culture audit and she also launched the national “I
Heart Consent” campaign. Susuana sits on the Abortion Rights UK Board, representing students in the fight for
reproductive justice and is an avid supporter of intersectional feminism.
Kelly Rogers
I’m Kelly, a final year Politics student at the University of Birmingham – although at the time of writing, I’m still
serving a 9-month suspension from studies for protest activity.
Since becoming an activist I’ve organised direct action on my campus and nationally, and fought for free education
and liberation, including a term as Birmingham’s Women’s Officer. I’m currently a trade unionist in a low-wage job,
fighting exploitation and low pay.
I’m a socialist feminist, an activist in the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, a member of the International
Socialist Network, Left Unity and Communities Against the Cuts.
Stick With
I’m running to be re-elected as your
NUS National Women’s Officer. This
year, I’ve focused on developing the
women’s campaign into a more
intersectional and active movement.
It’s been an incredible year for
student feminist activism, but I’m
not done yet - which is why I’m
asking you to vote for me as
your number #1 option at this
year’s NUS National Women’s
Conference.
+ NUS National Women’s Officer 2014-15
+ National Lad Culture Strategy Team Co-chair 2014-15
+ NUS Women’s Campaign Committee (Open Place) 2013-14
+ University of London Union Women’s Officer 2013-14
+ Abortion Rights UK Board 2013-15
+ Royal Holloway Feminism Society President 2012 - 13
Established Regional Women’s Activist Forums,
creating an online network for women’s officers to
ensure that student women activists had access to
support systems and I revamped the “Being a
Women’s Officer” handbook.
Created the Intersectionality 101 Guide to help
students develop more intersectional campaigns and
networks on campuses.
Produced the Reclaim the Night Student Organiser
Toolkit and supported student-led Reclaim the Night
marches across the country.
Launched the Lad Culture Audit and developed initiatives like
the Good Night Out Campaign SU programme to tackle sexual
harassment on nights out .
Launched the “I Heart Consent” pilot programme which has
been shortlisted for the UK Sexual Health Awards.
Worked with the Eliminate Domestic Violence Youth Council
to produce the NUS Eliminate Domestic Violence (EDV)
Toolkit to support young survivors of domestic violence.
Helped organise the largest ever Abortion Rights Student
Conference.
United with other national women's organisations such as
Women’s Aid and EVAW to tackle violence against women on
campus and cuts to women’s services with the
#ReclaimYourCampus campaign.
"Susuana has rebuilt local networks of women and feminist activists from the bottom
up, utilising her committee as organisers not just scrutinisers. We’ve seen SUs across
the country take action in tackling violence against women; a credit to the Women's Campaign led by Susuana. “ - Shelly Asquith, SUARTS President
Building an Inclusive Activist Movement
Fighting for Liberation in Education
This year, we’ve begun to establish regional activist forums, but
there’s more to be done to strengthen and maintain our
networks, and create a stronger, healthier and more
intersectional women’s movement. Re-elect me and I will:
 Establish a Women's officer training conference to equip
women students with the tools and knowledge to dismantle
the patriarchy on campus.
 Produce a Feminist Society 101 toolkit and materials for
building strong, intersectional activist networks both on campus and in communities.
 Take #womcamontour and expand and strengthen our
regional activist networks using seasonal forums across nations.
 Create a NUS Student Parents & Carers Section to secure
students with caring responsibilities the representation and
national campaigning power that they deserve.
We should be challenging inequality throughout the education
sector. As well as fighting for free education, we need to free
education from structural and social sexism. If you re-elect me I will:
 Launch a “Where are all the Women?” national speakers tour to
highlight how sexism in academia and cuts to education impact
on women’s liberation.
 Develop a framework for a feminist course rep programme that
will enable women students and academics to critique and
reform reading lists and courses, creating alternative lectures,
seminars and workshops that will revolutionise education.
 Work with the NUS Sections (International, Postgraduate & Mature
and Part-time students) to launch a multi media awareness
campaign on women in education, highlighting women student’s
achievements in male-dominated courses as well as the need to
fight gender stereotypes.
Reclaiming Our Campuses from Lad Culture
This year I have co-chaired the National Lad Culture Strategy
team. We’ve developed the lad culture audit and a pilot
scheme, but this is only the beginning. If you re-elect me I will:
 Continue to lobby the government, Universities UK and the
Association of Colleges, through campus actions to mandate
intuitions to develop robust policies and procedures to
combat lad culture and violence against women on campus.
 Create a Lad Culture strategy Online Hub to enable students
unions to audit their unions, develop strategies and download
useful resources and guidance.
 Tackle lad culture head-on through training and development,
by working with feminist organisations to create specific
programmes and resources like the successful ‘I Heart
Consent’ Campaign and ‘Good Night Out’ campaign.
 Build on our current consultation on lad culture in Further
Education and campaign for inclusive statutory SRE in schools
and colleges.
Supporting Women's Welfare Services
We need to ensure the wellbeing and safety of women students by
tackling structural barriers to welfare services and ending stigma
around sexual and mental health. If you re-elect me I will:
 Build stronger partnerships with the women’s sector to fight
against cuts to essential public services as well as argue for
access to more supportive and inclusive services.
 Team up with Rape Crisis and survivor organisations to develop
training material for sexual harassment first responders, and put
together toolkits for creating survivor support groups on
campuses.
 Work with NUS Services and the NUS Vice President (Welfare) to
campaign for #freeperiods and lower the cost of living with a
uterus by helping unions to provide tax free or completely free
access to sanitary products, both on campus and nationally.
 Produce a Self-Care Toolkit for student feminist activists.
 Work with relevant trade unions to develop a “Know Your Rights”
handbook for women student staff facing sexism on campus.
“Susuana has been an invaluable support and leader of the I Heart Consent campaign, making difficult but important conversations
happen with over 150 students on our campus, and training 26 students to deliver the workshop themselves. This campaign
brought students together in a way I have never seen before, and the benefit of that keeps growing.
- Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, SURHUL Co-President (Welfare & Diversity) // NUS NEC (Welfare 2nd Place)
“Susuana’s help has been invaluable to me this year. She always replies to my questions, no matter how small they are or what
time it is, and it’s clear that she has put her heart and soul into her role this year. I believe you should vote Susuana
because she deserves another year to continue the incredible campaigning work that she’s started.”
- Josie Throup, Warwick SU Women’s Officer
“Susuana is the epitome of what a strong and inclusive women's campaign should be, mobilising women
from across the nations. She embodies all that our campaign should with unrivalled ease and be empathy.
Susuana inspires so many people and has bought the campaign to new heights in a short space of time.”
- Rochelle Owusu-Antwi, NUS National Executive Councillor (Women’s Campaign)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07919328328
Twitter: @StickWithSusuana
Facebook: /StickWithSusuana
Stick With
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OFFICER
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job)insecurityS)where)80%)of)us)will)never)pay)off)our)debt.)We)take)
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education)at)all.)When)we)demand)justice)for)staff)and)democraticS)
public)universities)and)collegesS)we)are)fighting)on)for)the)women)
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campaign)that)is)a)part)of)that)movementS)not)a)wing)of)the)NUS)
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support)the)movement)when)it)emergesS)and)to)invest)our)resources)in)
supporting)grassroots)campaigns.)We)also)need)to)challenge)the)culture)
of)repression)that)is)sweeping)through)our)institutions.)Students)are)
being)stalked)by)cops)on)their)own)campusS)teargassedS)threatened)
with)tasersS)disciplinedS)suspendedS)kettledS)beaten)and)arrested:)
universities)are)leading)a)campaign)to)atomise)us.)We)need)to)invest)
NUS)resources)in)defending)our)right)to)protestS)and)establishing)
infrastructures)and)systems)of)support)to)help)students)facing)
repression.)
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2. For real safer spaces and An end to bullying culture
When”the”NUS”pulled”support”for”the”national”demonstration”in”
November”earlier”this”academic”year‘”the”NUS”womenBs”campaign”
released”a”statement”backing”the”decision”that”stated”“Our”priority”
as”a”campaign”is”the”welfare”and”safety”of”women”and”the”right”
for”women”to”organise”and”campaign”in”ways”that”they”feel”the”
most”comfortable”z”The”priority”is”safetyz”Not”change‘”but”safetyz”
This”is”a”patronising”and”right”wing”position”for”our”campaign”to”
takez
There”is”a”prevalent”idea”in”the”student”movement”that”we”can”make”
the”entire”world”safe”for”women”by‘”first‘”organising”within”safer”
spaces‘”second‘”rigorously”jand”often”undemocratically;”policing”
those”spaces‘”and”third‘”legislating”the”rest”of”society”into”also”
being”safe‘”by”passing”noAplatforms”and”bans”at”every”opportunityz”
If”a”group”refuses”to”comply”with”safer”space”rules‘”then”it”is”the”
obligation”of”all”rightAon”feminists”to”advise”other”women”not”to”
participate”in”those”spacesz”
Women”disagree”all”the”timez”But”in”many”cases‘”not”toeing”a”
particular”line”means”being”branded”the”Bmouthpiece”of”menB‘”antiA
feminist‘”an”apologistz”If”youBre”not”prepared”to‘”or”unable”to‘”
utilise”a”jargon”to”demonstrate”your”rightAonAness;””wear”your”
disabilities‘”worst”experiences”and”greatest”fears”on”your”sleeve‘”
then”youBre”knocked”down”a”hierarchy”of”oppressionz”While”the”
ability”of”women”to”do”this”should”be”celebrated‘”membership”of”the”
club”should”not”be”based”on”submitting”to”a”culture”of”bullying‘”
because”of”fears”of”doing”wrong”and”falling”from”grace‘”when”
really‘”none”of”us”came”from”the”womb”quoting”bell”hooksz
When”we”fight”for”‘the”welfare”and”safety”of”women‘”that”means”
fighting”for”a”better”world‘”for”a”kind”of”change”that”isnBt”going”
to”be”legislated”into”existence”by”SU”councils”because”it”requires”a”
real”challenge”to”prevailing”neoliberal”ideology‘”and”it”involves”coming”
up”against”managements‘”government”and”policez”All”of”these”sites”
of”resistance”mean”being”distinctly”unsafe”in”the”meantimez”Safer”
spaces”are”absolutely”necessary‘”but”they”should”strive”to”be”havens”
where”women‘”and”other”oppressed”groups‘”regroup‘”collectively”heal‘”
educate”themselves”and”organise”so”that”when”they”go”back”onto”the”
streets”they”are”able”to”make”the”change”they”needz”To”really”
create”those”spaces”we”need”to”deal”with”a”culture”of”bullying”and”
aggression‘”which”leads”to”many”women”leaving”such”spaces‘”and”
activism”altogetherz”
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3. For a socialist feminism: a fight for worker's rights and against austerity
Since”being”suspended”from”university”for”protest”activity‘””I”have”
been”a”worker”in”lowApaid‘”zero”hour”work”recruiting”my”colleagues”to”
a”trade”union‘”and”organising”a”campaign”for”a”Living”Wage‘”better”
contracts‘”and”sick”payz”This”is”a”project”that”challenges”and”develops”
my”feminism”every”dayz”Exploited‘”impoverished‘”infantilised‘”and”
sexually”harassed”on”a”daily”basis‘”we”need”to”organise”with”and”
against”our”male”colleagues‘”and”against”our”bosses‘”for”our”liberation”
from”our”own”living”and”working”conditions‘”and”for”a”socialist‘”
feminist”futurez
”
As”students‘”weBre”in”the”midst”of”this”battle:”education”is”the”
leading”sector”in”the”casualisation”and”precarising”of”work‘”and”
university”managements”fighting”hardest”for”austerity”and”
neoliberalismz”They”are”hiring”lecturers”on”zero”hour”contracts‘”
outsourcing”support”staff”to”undermine”their”employment”rights‘”and”
casualising”teaching”and”marking”by”PhD”studentsz
”
The”student”movement‘”backed”by”the”NUS‘”needs”to”join”workers”on”
the”picket”lines‘”and”members”of”the”community”fighting”against”
austerity”and”cuts”to”liveAsaving”services”and”welfare‘”because”these”
are”the”sites”of”resistance”for”thousands”upon”thousands”of”women”
living”in”povertyz”At”our”institutions”we”need”to”build”radical”coalitions”
of”students”and”workersz”It”is”by”joining”activists”on”the”streets”that”
we”can”really”‘lobby’”jand”overthrow;”governmentz”As”future”
graduates”and”workers‘”this”is”a”society”that”we”need”to”build”forz
@kellyjaderogers