A protest against YUSU’s refusal to ratify a feminist society for the second time has reached nearly 700 signatures, as friction continues to build between campaigners and the Students’ Union.
YUSU rejected the latest attempt at ratification last week, insisting that there is not “a unique need” for a feminist society because there is a “duplication of efforts” between FemSoc and the Women’s Committee, a branch of the Union and a Liberation and Welfare committee.
FemSoc, however, are adamant on becoming a fully recognised society. It claims to already have over 100 members, and if ratified would define itself as a political group that would meet weekly to discuss “feminism and feminist issues in a welcoming, informal and inclusive group.”
Helena Horton, a member of FemSoc, criticised YUSU, saying: “We have two ratified campus newspapers, who cover the same stories and the same sports. Why is this not counted as a ‘duplication of interests’ and our society is? There seems to be an ulterior motive at work here.”
Student Activities Officer Chris West said: “The application for Feminist Society was rejected on the grounds that the proposed society was not exclusive from other areas of the Union, in this case the Women’s Network, which is active and holds very similar aims and objectives. As a Union, we have limited resources, and so it’s important that we don’t replicate effort when it comes to student activities.”
However, the size of the protest has since heaped pressure on the YUSU, and with the signature count set to rise further, the Union could be forced to give in and ratify the society, much like they did with the Palestinian Solidarity Society back in January.
Along with the support from York students, several feminist societies from other universities, including Bristol, LSE and UEA have all come out in support of the society.
FemSoc say they will continue to fight for ratification, with Horton adding: “I am here for at least two more years, and by the time I leave, our University will have a ratified FemSoc.”
I wonder how many of those signatures are from people outside the University of York.
I’ve been at York for 4 years. Every year there is some pulavah raised up over womcom, womsoc, etc, usually to do with the Sun, often with Page 3. Sometimes the causes, such as lighting on campus, are really good. Sometimes all it is is an excuse for the usual suspects to flood the campus papers online with verbal wars between the two sides, slagging off anyone who doesn’t follow their view to the exact letter, and solidifying their little cliques where everyone agrees with them and runs to slag off opposing comments that are dutifully posted onto Facebook for people to laugh at. For people who don’t subscribe to the view that York is a misogynist hellhole, or that Unilad is funny, it’s hard to know which is more annoying.
The worst thing is that it feels so transparent and hollow, so that the candidate can go in their interviews after university ‘Well yes I argued for x thing to happen and did y and z demonstrating a,b and c’. Grah.
I will now go and spend the rest of my degree laughing at hipsters on Spotted.
‘Helena Horton, a member of FemSoc, criticised YUSU, saying: “We have two ratified campus newspapers, who cover the same stories and the same sports. Why is this not counted as a ‘duplication of interests’ and our society is? There seems to be an ulterior motive at work here.”’
Competition and diversity is good for media societies as it fosters friendly rivalries and incentives to write better stories and get more exclusives, allows readers choice when it comes to where they want to hear news from, and it models the real life free press in a way that will bring good experience to journalism students. Even if this wasn’t the case, both papers are ratified (FemSoc is not) and I imagine there would be outrage if someone wanted to deratify one of them in the misguided pursuit of overzealous consistency.
Competition and diversity is not good for other societies/YUSU bodies as it wastes YUSU resources (which are finite) and splits up people who are working for the same cause for no good reason.
No ulterior motive, just different circumstances.
Any signatures from anyone not at York University should be ignored. It is not their business what happens on MY campus.
The rhetoric coming out the the “FemSoc” campaign, makes me want to join the “Men’s Rights Soc” that has also come up on facebook.
Lots of love,
A female self-identifying feminist.
Reading the above comments is the greatest medicine to this FemSoc headache. I’m glad there are sensible people on campus who see through the bs.
” FemSoc say they will continue to fight for ratification, with Horton adding: “I am here for at least two more years, and by the time I leave, our University will have a ratified FemSoc.” ”
So it’s about legacy for Horton basically.
I might be a bit confused here, and I hate to go against the tide of comments, but I want to ask an important question.
From what I’m aware women’s committee fights for women’s rights where feminism does not. Feminism is about achieving equality in society. From what I can tell these two things are actually different. If this is the case then surely Femsoc should be ratified?
So here’s the thing.
HH needs to stop going “LOOK AT ME! IT’S ALL ABOUT ME AND ME AND ME!”
And then people might start being a bit more sympathetic to what is actually a very valid/justifiable society.