Women's Council
Lent Term 2001
Minutes
Women's
Council
Lent I
Tuesday 23rd January 2001
Minutes
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1) Welcome
and alterations to minutes: There
were no alterations to last week's minutes. There have been no problems
with sending minutes by mail.
2) News and matters arising: Bee-Line has been launched and some calls have already been received. Leaflets to be available soon.
The pregnancy test leaflets will be available soon and should be
being
distributed by the Women's Officers.
Website suggestions will be gratefully received.
3) Motion - Supporting women's boat club
Underfunding
of the club.
Women's council will contact CUBC and CUWBC to give their support
for CUWBC and ask for support from the men. We will also be contacting
other Universities to ask for their support of the women's race
on 1st April. We could also contact Cambridge Student and Varsity
to get their support.
A point was made about girls sport teams and the fact that they don't have anything as traditional and well-known as college ties for the guys. Maybe college pins? There are also college garters! Any suggestions would be good.
4) AOB
Women's Officers to get invited February 2, 2001; 2.15 4pm
at Stuart House. Please tell Laura if you're interested.
Speakers will include someone from the Judge Institute of Management
Studies and a Cambridgeshire CC rep.
The
NUS Women's Conference motions have been narrowed down to 10.
They are now available for consultation and Laura will scan them
onto the website.
The NUS Women's Conference is the 12th 14th March. Anyone interested can go. Elections will be at the beginning of March.
Women's
Council
Lent II
Tuesday 6th February 2001
Minutes
1) Welcome and alterations to minutes: Apologies from May, Emmie and Carolina. There were no alterations to the minutes.
2) News and matters arising: The vote to change the constitution was passed last CUSU Council.
Laura
will circulate information from Amnesty International about Urgent
Action Campaigns for women.
The
documents that Laura was wishing to have scanned into the computer
last meeting did not scan well. If anyone wishes to see the amendments
to
the proposals, they can contact Laura.
Problems
with students going for their smear tests. Should we pigeon
hole students to remind them about its importance?
Check
doctors' surgeries around town to compare their routines to test
girls.
We could put up more information about PAP tests on our website.
International
Women's Week begins on 5th March any ideas are to be sent
to Sue.
Women
Building Peace conference will be re-scheduled and will take place
at some point soon. We will be updated.
3) Motions
Ordinary motions were voted on and debated during the Council.
4) AOB
There were no AOBs.
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1) Welcome and alteration to minutes: Minutes for the last meeting
confirmed.
2) News and matters arising: Cambridge Association of University Women - Lucy Lewis spoke about how it was a charitable foundation for post-graduate study. Awards for maintenance and tuition are separate. It is part of British Association of Women Graduates. Also social events. Cross discipline. She particularly plugged a conference in March for which we have been asked to distribute posters.
Suhasini mentioned she was beginning to organise IWW. College women's officers are invited to get in touch with her about any events they're organising.
Laura mentioned CUSU sabbatical officer and Women's executive elections are coming up on the 6th anyone interested is to see her for information.
Laura clarified that the pregnancy kits are going to all the colleges and can be obtained from CUSU reception.
Alice Street mentioned liaison meetings. Women's Officer training will now be separate and liaison meetings will be more sociable and regular, with training once a term.
3) Motion - Sexist Advertising
Georgie spoke briefly on the motion in Harriet/Lucy's absence. Laura
points out the difficulty of screening after the adverts have been
bought. Instead, the ethical WP should include offensive advertising
in their guidelines.
Laura will alert Tony Wilson and the other sabbatical officers to
what has
happened in the meantime.
Georgie accepted this as an amendment.
4)
Motion - Constitution
Changing Women's Campaign to Women's Union.
Ways of running council and its constitution will be determined.
Members of the executive will be set in policy.
It will determine:
The role of the Sabbatical officer.
Finance, participation and voting procedure.
Question of male equal opportunities officers.
Possibility of distancing the exec from the central campaign, thereby
preserving their autonomy
There was a suggestion that a co-opted member of a college with a male equal opps officer should be allowed to attend meetings so that women in the college have a vote.
2/3 of votes will be needed in council meetings so that a motion can be passed. This could take place by secure e-mail.
There was debate as to whether the sabbatical officer should chair meetings and should be allowed to vote or not. She will chair and will have a vote normally. This vote will be the casting vote if there is a tie.
The Women's Officer should support the individual student's right to choose how should this be strongly enforced?
Laura said that once constitutionalised it can be enforced as strongly as possible in college hustings etc. There can be a vote of no confidence in the sabbatical Women's Officer if not backed by college women's officers.
The issue of whether the constitution should be in statute-style points or paragraphs was discussed and it was decided that it should be as paragraphs less formal.
The vote to change to Women's Union was unanimous.
Amendment made: transsexual or transgender members 'defining' as women instead of 'living as' women.
Affiliation to new causes: should we have 2 meetings or as an ordinary motion? A vote was taken and passed that there should be 2 meetings.
Laura will add a provision about regular training of Women's Officers.
5)
Composition of Exec:
Creation of new posts
Problem of duplicity of GU Women's officer role at the moment.
We shall accept that the GU women's officer will sit ex-efficio on
the
council.
6)
CUSU motions:
They were all distributed via e-mail to all officers. Votes on all
motions
were taken.