100 signatures reached
To: To the State Minister, Local Minister, Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, President, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff at JCU
Feminist Demands at JCU
The JCU Women's Collective are demanding that JCU fund vending machines with sanitary products that are free to access for students at JCU. We want sanitary bins in every female toilet stall across the campus. We want JCU to have a section in their student wellbeing page online that includes information regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies and have links to the services available. We demand that JCU has formal leave processes and counselling services available inclusive of those who need to access abortion clinics. We want to end sexual assault and harassment on campus. We propose to do this by an education reform to introduce more radical consent and sex education through a new respect module and O-week lectures for all students regarding support services available and the reporting processes. We want to reform university reporting and make sure that the process is more transparent and easily accessible for students. We also think it is important for private colleges to disclose all cases of sexual assault and harassment.
We are asking you to sign this petition in support of WoCo’s feminist demands.
Why is this important?
Period poverty is the struggle people with a period face in affording menstrual products and describes the larger economic vulnerability faced due to the increasing financial burden of period supplies. Across the world, 1 in 5 people with a period experience period poverty. Period poverty affects student’s ability to attend university and can cause people to use improvised menstrual hygiene materials that can lead to infection. This causes increased risk of infection, decreased productivity and participation, reduces education outcomes, and affects the mental health of those experiencing period poverty. We want to end period poverty at JCU and remove the barriers to education that period poverty imposes on our students.
Currently we do not have up to date statistics regarding abortion in Queensland, however, it is known that between 1/4 to 1/3 of Australian women will have an abortion in their lifetime. Abortion services in Townsville have only recently been made accessible to the public after previous closure. Medical terminations of pregnancy are available via GPs or a private provider up to 9 weeks gestation and after that, Townsville University Hospital offers a surgical termination service from 9-14 weeks gestation. Women further along in their pregnancy will need to travel to Brisbane to access a surgical abortion service.
Abortion still carries a lot of stigma and can cause a range of emotions for those who have had to make that decision as well as a financial and time burden. We want JCU to show support to those who access abortion and provide them with appropriate leave processes and counselling services to ensure students feel supported and can have equitable access to education following an abortion.
Sexual assault and harassment effects students across Australia, including students at JCU. In a national student safety survey of JCU students it was found that 22.2% of students have been sexually harassed since starting university and 9.5% have been sexually assaulted since starting university. The numbers disproportionately effect people of minority groups, including queer students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those with a disability. We are aiming to eradicate sexual assault and harassment on campus to make JCU a safer place for everyone.
How it will be delivered
Amendment:
- 23/08: There is only one reporting pathway for sexual assault and harassment cases according to policy however colleges need to be held accountable/ uphold this policy
- 23/08: Counselling services are available for student and staff members for reasons such as abortion as well as necessary leave processes.