I'm Running to be Sheffield Hallam University's Next Women's Rep - and here's my Man

My name is Gabby Willis, and I am running to be your Students Union Women’s Rep for 2018/19. I am currently studying Journalism, but previously studied French with TESOL. I am a keen advocate of women’s rights and mental health awareness, and have plenty of experience in this area; such as serving as Secretary of the newly reformed FemSoc, open space representative on the Women’s Liberation Committee and Course Rep. I have previously volunteered on mental health projects both at SHU and in my hometown, and worked as a social media staffer for US non-profit Project Consent. In my spare time, I also write for HMedia and run a blog focussing on body positivity and feminism. One of my highlights this year has been attending the Women In Leadership Conference. I identify as a pansexual woman, and also hold LGBT+ issues close to my heart.

If elected as Women’s Rep, I pledge to make a real difference for all of the students of Sheffield Hallam, and the city as a whole. As well as my main manifesto points outlined below, I plan to hold regular drop in sessions for the self-identifying women of Sheffield Hallam to voice their concerns directly to me, and further develop links with organisations in the city that work with women, whether they be cultural enterprises, charities, or music venues looking for more female talent. I already have a lot of contacts in the city and can’t wait to make use of and expand these further.

My main campaign points are:

1. Sex Positivity

• I will work to destigmatize women’s sexuality within the student population. This will include, but not be limited to, sex education classes more focussed on female anatomy and women’s pleasure, combatting bi-erasure and the fetishisation of lesbians, making Slutwalk and Reclaim The Night bigger and better, and working with charities in Sheffield that aim to help sex workers.

2. Body Positivity

• I will work to help all students at SHU embrace and love their bodies. This will include but not be limited to raising awareness of the dangers of diet culture, how to spot and combat eating disorders, and combatting fat phobia.

3. Consent Awareness

• One of my biggest passions is raising awareness about sexual consent. I want to make sure that all freshers are spoken to about consent during freshers week and their inductions, and provide consent training workshops throughout the year.

Further to these three main points, I will carry on initiatives set up by our previous women's officer, such as the free emergency sanitary products in The Hubs.

Having a women’s rep is really important - over half of Hallam’s students are women but we are still an underrepresented and marginalised group. In a similar vein to this, increasing the representation of women of colour is very important to me, so I will work closely with the BME rep for this, and welfare officer/disabled students rep for physical and mental health.

Vote Gabby Willis, positively the best choice for Women’s Rep! #positivelygabby