WELFARE AND LIBERATION

Gender Equalities

Hello wonderful people of the JCR! I’m Jem, your Gender Equalities Officer this year. My role is to support all Catz students (with a focus on those who identify as female or non-binary), making your time in Cambridge as comfortable, safe and enjoyable as possible, whether that is through keeping college bathrooms stocked with free period products, signposting welfare support, raising awareness of gender-based issues or just being someone to talk to!

The aim of this page is to provide a guide of who you can get in touch with for any issues you may have. If you feel that anything is missing or want something clarified, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at the email below. I hope that you never need to use most of these links, but it is of course better to have them just in case.

CONTENT WARNING BELOW: mentions of drink spiking and sexual assault

Within college, if you ever need someone to talk to, the following are available for you to get in touch with:

Your Gender Equalities Officer (me!): jcr.womens@caths.cam.ac.uk
Your tutor
Head of Wellbeing: Mary Simuyandi (welfare.officer@caths.cam.ac.uk)
Senior Tutor: Dr Holly Canuto (senior.tutor@caths.cam.ac.uk)
College Nurse: Janette Dougal (nurse@caths.cam.ac.uk)

If you have been sexually harassed or assaulted, the following are links to University support, the University policy and reporting system.

Support for students
University Counselling Service
SU Student Advice Service
Guidance on reporting inappropriate behaviour of other students or staff
Anonymous reporting form
Named (not anonymous) reporting form (this is if you are comfortable being contacted about your report)

The University also has a dedicated Sexual Assault and Harassment Advisor, Amy Thompson, to provide support and advice to students who have experienced sexual harassment or assault whether this happened within the university or elsewhere. You can find more information here.

If you are more comfortable accessing external support, Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre provides a helpline, email support, counselling and advocacy for women who have experienced sexual violence. The Elms – Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) can give you a forensic medical examination and store evidence for you whilst you make up your mind about reporting. You may also be able to get support from college with transport to the SARC.

If you have experienced sexual assault or harassment, it is not your fault, and you are not alone. Support is available for you via the college, University, and external support. If you wish to do so, you can report any incidents of sexual violence or harassment to either college or the University, who can then direct you to appropriate support and help with adjustments to your study. Whatever you choose, you deserve to feel supported and believed, and if you have any questions or doubts please feel free to message me directly or send me an anonymous question on the JCR tracker.

Drink spiking and sexual violence

The University’s guidance on drinks spiking gives information on how to tell if your drink has been spiked, what to do if your or a friend’s drink has been spiked, and how to avoid drink spiking. Although the responsibility is not on you, TASA (The Anti Spiking App) is a useful safety tool if you wish to download it - it includes useful info and an option to send emergency messages to your contacts.

Cambridge SU’s BEST Night Out campaign gives information for event organisers on how to run safer events.

The college bar provides free foil drink toppers upon request. Alternatively, purchase your own at this website. Attack alarms are also available from Plodge, or you can email the Deputy Head Porter (deputy.head.porter@caths.cam.ac.uk) who will put one in your pidge.

Ongoing projects

Some things I am currently working on:

• Offering more free menstrual cups to students

• Pushing for more clarity from college regarding the gender pay gap at Catz

• Ensuring all spaces at Catz feel safe and welcoming to people of all genders e.g. finalising the marginalised gym hours

• International Women’s Day celebrations!

If you have any suggestions or requests, then please do contact me and I will do my best to make it happen!