By Jacob Edwards (Impact Magazine), Mary Carolan (Impact Magzine), Tamara Greatrix (Redbrick Newspaper)
Six in ten students have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment since being enrolled at university- most of them women. But students from the University of Nottingham (UoN) and Birmingham (UoB) are campaigning for safer spaces on campus and beyond.
SASS and mandatory consent training
When 21-year-old Josie Fowler student founded Students Against Sexual Violence and Sexism (SASS) at the University of Nottingham she was stunned that UoN did not already provide mandatory consent training.
Now after campaigning with her fellow group members she counts it as SASS’ biggest success so far – and has helped make her community a safer place both on and beyond the campus.
“One of the very first things we did was kick and scream and go, ‘this needs to exist’,” the MA Education Management student says.
Neighbouring university, Nottingham Trent, piloted mandatory consent training following a student campaign in 2019. Since its introduction, 84% of students are more aware of situations that require consent.
“Making it mandatory is what changes things,” adds Josie. “Consent is not something you can opt in and out of.”
The Children’s Commissioner report found that 79% of young people have encountered violent pornography before the age of 18. The average age at which children first see pornography is 13.
“It creates a complete warped perception of sex,” says Josie.
“Consent is sexy.
“We fought for a spot at that table and we fought hard.”
Recognising that Sexual Assault Awareness Month took place in April when students are home, SASS campaigned for an alternative: Sexual Health and Guidance week (SHAG).
They had two focuses: “One was sexual experiences, and one was nonsexual.
“People maybe have found empowerment through sexual experiences- yes, that’s really important.”
But they also wanted to celebrate those who found stepping away from sexual experiences empowering.
“I think sexual violence doesn’t just impact your attitudes towards sex… It impacted my romantic relationships, and it impacted some of my friendships,” Josie adds.
Newly founded FemSoc
Fifty miles away in the West Midlands, University of Birmingham (UoB) student Lucy Newman was similarly shocked to find her university had no feminist society.
Lucy Newman, who is 19-years-old and studies Liberal Arts, was determined to change that so founded and is now president of UoB’s FemSoc.
The city has crime rates 57% above the national average, with nearly five reported sexual assaults daily in the inner-city district surrounding New Street Station.
“At most universities, a feminist society is a staple,” Lucy says, emphasising it was long overdue at Birmingham.
Much like UoN SASS’ focus on consent training, UoB’s FemSoc aims to tackle spiking.
Two needle spiking incidents were reported at a Halloween event in 2021, despite student ID checks and security measures.
Lucy explained that the committee has already developed several initiatives to help students and the wider community.
“We want to create campaigns to tackle issues like spiking,” she says.
They are planning to invite dedicated organisations to deliver anti-spiking training at the university.
FemSoc also wants to introduce free drink covers on nights out, and advocate for increased security at high-risk events like Sports Night.
Lucy adds: “It’s not just about educating boys but also each other; we have so much to learn from one another.”
FemSoc is determined to challenge what Lucy describes as a “toxic and objectifying” culture among university students. She believes working with sports societies, particularly their Social Secretaries, is a key step toward change.
“We can work with them to make the culture slightly more welcoming and open, and less toxic.”
FemSoc also aims to increase the awareness of existing university resources, such as the campus safety app. “Nobody really knows [about the app] or uses it, and making it a bigger deal would be great.”
28% of sexual assault incidents in university settings took place in the Students’ Union, clubs and societies, or events and spaces. FemSoc voiced safety concerns about the on-campus bar, Joe’s, particularly during high-traffic events like Wednesday Sports Night and Saturday FAB- both organised by the Guild of Students.
They also spoke of risks associated with poorly lit areas, such as the University-affiliated student village, The Vale Village, and the popular student housing district of Selly Oak.
Student community responses
Despite SASS and FemSoc being in their infancy, both have been overwhelmed by positive responses from their student communities. SASS won ‘Best Welfare and Inclusivity’. In just three years they’ve grown to over 250 members. For FemSoc, it’s a similar story. They’ve attracted over 50 members in a matter of months.
SASS held their first ‘Light Up the Night’, in response to the cancellation of Nottingham’s ‘Reclaim the Night’.
“We didn’t really know what it was until it kind of happened if that makes sense,” says Josie. “We wanted to give it space to grow and change… and let the event be what it would become.”
And it did.
The committee packed 80 gift bags, not expecting 120 people to turn up.
Yet, they were surprised by the university’s positive response to SASS. “It was very easy to assume I’d be overlooked and yet the voice that I was allowed to keep was amazing and it was such an amazing response.”
“We are here, we are survivors. Do not forget that we exist. Just because we’re students, just because we’re young, doesn’t mean we are not valid in our experiences.”
Inclusivity
FemSoc were similarly inspired by Birmingham’s Reclaim the Night. “We attended last year and felt a real need for more people to attend and for it to become a bigger thing,” Lucy explained.
The society also aims to amplify international celebrations, such as International Women’s Day and International Women’s Month, envisioning a campus-wide initiative to make these events “a really big deal.”
FemSoc is determined to take an intersectional approach to improving women’s safety, both locally and globally.
Lucy says: “It is so important to make sure that we are not being Western with our feminism, and are spotlighting other cultures and global issues.”
“Birmingham is really diverse and we need to expand our feminism into everyone’s experiences.”
“We want to work with Birmingham Women’s Shelters and rape crisis shelters, organising both volunteering and fundraising for them.”
‘We’re campaigning for students, but also for people who can’t campaign for themselves, both in Birmingham and beyond.”
UoN’s SASS also strives to create an inclusive space in which male survivors feel comfortable to participate. For them, a women’s only space would create harmful barriers.
“In November we always do a ‘Movember’ event every single year. It’s a tradition,” says Josie.
Safe spaces
SASS recognises the limitations of being a student-run society. “We can’t provide counselling,” says Josie. “We provide the structure that others may need.”
Instead, they partner with external specialists. “We worked with an amazing local charity called SHE UK for two years,” says Josie. They delivered support sessions appropriate for the SASS group setting.
SASS recognised that this kind of setting could be intimidating or overwhelming for some of their members, but found it important to maintain “compassion for survivors”.
A key part of this was setting boundaries. Many of the committee members were compelled to join SASS because of their personal experiences. But their events are ‘non-sharing’.
“We don’t want to trigger anyone.”
“We aren’t therapists. We are just people wanting to help others and make a difference.”
Establishing safe spaces in formative environments (like universities) cannot be overstated. With groups like SASS and FemSoc leading the charge, there’s hope that progress made on campus will shape women’s rights in the local community and beyond.