Students and Reclaim the Night

A message from Liv Bailey, NUS Women's Officer......


As we get closer to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is on the 25 November, I just wanted to email with a couple of ways you can get involved in our priority campaign over the next few weeks.

Reclaim the Night London

The National Reclaim the Night march will be held in London on the 21st November. This is a great chance for students to unite and stand against violence against women.

Students from all over the country are descending on London for the march - let’s mobilise and get more students at the march and rally than ever before.

Join the facebook group for more info - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167788109169.

**Gather for mass action during the day - 2pm, Trafalgar Square**

On the day of the march, the women's campaign is organising a mass action for students ahead of the march that evening. We will be gathering images, statements and signatures against violence, as well as leafleting for the march that evening.

Meet at 1.30pm, by the fountain in Trafalgar Square. Will finish by about 4 - leaving plenty of time to get to the start of the march.

Coming? Email me - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk - so I can get an idea of numbers of people to expect.

**Getting to London**
There are a few coaches travelling down to London for the march (and in time for the mass action). If you are interested in getting on a coach, or want to organise a group for a coach, get in touch with the contacts set out below.

· WALES: NUS Wales Women's Officer Estelle Hart will be organising a coach from Wales to London. Email her on estelle.hart@nus-wales.org.uk for more info and to reserve a place on the coach
· NORTH: Sheffield Uni Women's Officer Amy Sutherland will be co-ordinating a coach from various points in the North of England. The coach will likely be stopping in Sheffield, Bradford and Manchester. Drop me an email to find out more and to reserve a place - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk
· SOUTH WEST: I'm looking in to the possibility of a coach from the South West, if this would be useful for you, let me know - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk
· NOTTINGHAM: The Nottingham Women's Officer is organising a coach from Nottingham to London, and she has some spare places. Contact me if you are interested in getting on the coach, and I'll put you in touch - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk


Your images against violence

As part of our campaign, I'd like you to send me images against violence, and images of women in your Union. I'm after:
· Images of women doing normal things around campus - eg in lectures, in the library, playing sport etc
· Images of students taking action against violence - eg, at reclaim the night marches, doing stunts, or even just your women's group holding up placards or signs against violence
· More creative images that make a statement against violence - eg, designed images, artwork or even short films
This could be an activity to get your women's committee of wider student union involved with, or you might just be keen to get a camera and get thinking yourself. Maybe you already have images you can send in. The images received will be used in different ways in the Stop Violence Against Women Priority Campaign - so please make sure you have the permission of people you are photographing before you send me the image. Any questions, get in touch - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk.

Please send me your images by the 23 November.


Violence Against Women Survey

As part of the campaign, we are launching a research project in to the Violence Against Women Students. This will be the first time anyone has specifically looked at the ways in which violence impacts on women students.

The first stage of our research is an online survey, which will be launched in the next couple of weeks. I'll send the link out as soon as it is ready to go, but please get ready to send this survey to as many women as possible - we want to ensure we get as many women as possible to fill it out.


Violence Against Women Posters

We will be launching in the next couple of days a range of posters against violence and objectification. Watch the website for the designs going live at the end of this week - http://www.officeronline.co.uk/women/. If you want to pre-order your posters, email me - olivia.bailey@nus.org.uk.

Reclaim the Night Leeds

LUU and Leeds Met are running a Reclaim the Night march on Saturday 28 October.

March - 6pm @ Leeds Art Gallery (first half - women only, second half - open)
Rally and clubnight - 8.00pm onwards @ Faversham

Contact - s.a.james@luu.leeds.ac.uk
or - V.Baars@leedsmet.ac.u