VOTE ENAYA FOR WELFARE & CAMPAIGNS

A better student experience for you

ABOUT ME

Hey, there! I’m Enaya (she/her), a final-year EPAIS student & your current Women’s Officer at the SU. I’m running to be your next VP for Welfare and Campaigns.

WHY AM I RUNNING?

I believe that we, as students, deserve to feel supported and safe at Warwick. During the pandemic & now the Cost-of-Living crisis, our concerns haven’t been taken seriously. If elected, I will fight to have your demands heard and make sure that talk turns into action. Additionally, I want to run campaigns that’ll make Warwick more equal and inclusive, where everyone feels heard.

WHY ME?

I have undertaken a variety of roles at Warwick that were directly linked to welfare & campaign management, including:

• Women’s Officer at the Students’ Union (current), 22-23
• Course Rep & Overseas Students’ Rep for the Dept of Economics’ SSLC, 20-22 & 21-22 respectively,
• President of Warwick Multicultural Society, 21-22
• Social Secretary of Boxing (UWABC), 21-22, &
• Exec member of Warwick Anti-Sexism Society (current), 22-23

MY CAMPAIGN PROMISES:

If elected, I will work hard to achieve the following goals:

• Make campus safer for all by implementing Safezone and expanding the Get Home Safe Campaign Make campus more affordable!
• Tackle the Cost-of-Living crisis and mitigate its effects on students with the Cost of Living & End Period Poverty campaigns
• Reduce waiting times for well-being appointments and improve mental health support from the Uni
• Support Societies and Sports Clubs in their campaigns

1. MAKE CAMPUS SAFER FOR ALL

Students don’t feel safe on and off campus at various times of the night- be it due to a lack of streetlights, fear of sexual harassment/assault, or walking home alone through a sketchy area.

What have I accomplished?

As Women’s Officer, my main campaign for the year has been the Get Home Safe campaign. So far, I have achieved the following:

• I’ve lobbied for the introduction of safe zone, which is an app that allows you to access emergency services such as community safety, first aid, and well-being. It’s being trialled with Community Safety now.
• I have worked with Report + Support and the Community Safety team to get Sexual Assault & Harassment-prevention training, which will start this term.
• I have spoken to Estates and the Community Safety team to get more streetlights on campus, especially in areas surrounding accommodations.
• I have worked with the VP Sports and combat sports clubs on campus to introduce Self-Defence classes, which have been extremely well-received by Women and NB students.

What will I do further?

If elected, I will:

• Make sure that safezone is free and available to all if the 3-month trial goes well, so everyone can feel safe at Warwick.
• Lead a campaign tackling the root of the SA/SH/Rape Culture problem at Warwick by working with local organisations to provide sexual harassment/assault prevention workshops and promoting Project Maskulinities.
• Make the Women’s and NB Self-Defence classes a permanent course with various combat sports clubs and Warwick Sport.

1. MAKE LIFE ON CAMPUS MORE AFFORDABLE

Over 85% of students have had to cut down on spending and almost 40% can’t afford their bills + necessary expenses (SU Cost of Living survey). According to the End Period Poverty campaign’s survey, nearly 30% of respondents said they struggled to afford menstrual products on a monthly basis. The situation with stagecoach also impacts students’ welfare negatively.

What have I accomplished?

• I am on the SU’s Cost-of-Living crisis Working Group and have suggested multiple policies to improve students’ welfare.
• Expanded the End Period Poverty campaign by over 120% with my team of 22 volunteers, supplying to most public buildings on central campus.
• Spoken to senior management at the University about a contract with Grace & Green to provide free and sustainable period products in all university buildings.

What will I do further? If elected, I will:

• Provide free breakfasts, subsidised food by SU outlets and a free shop for students to use at their leisure.
• Push for the University to help subsidise exorbitant energy bills and rent costs faced by students.
• Negotiate with local district councils, the University, and Stagecoach to make the buses more regular and efficient & more affordable for students.
• Lobby the senior management to make End Period Poverty a permanent solution to period poverty on campus with a Grace & Green contract.

1. REDUCE WAITING TIMES FOR WELL-BEING APPOINTMENTS

Student satisfaction with mental health support has been getting worse as waiting times to see a counsellor climbed to over a month recently. Students' mental well-being is not being prioritised by the University as well-being is understaffed and stretched thin to support students. In addition, there’s only one domestic violence (expert) advisor for all students at Warwick.

What will I do?

If elected, I will:

• Lobby the university to allocate profits towards Well-being (recruiting more counsellors as well) as it is extremely overloaded.
• Focus on men’s mental health- I’d launch a campaign addressing men’s mental health and the stigma surrounding it, empowering projects such as Movember.
• Push for recruiting more Domestic Violence & SA advisors.

1. SUPPORT SOCIETIES AND SPORTS CLUBS IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS

Some campaigns run by societies and sports clubs can work well alongside SU campaigns- likewise, the SU can support society and club-run projects and campaigns as well by reaching a larger audience.

What will I do?

If elected, I will:

• Highlight and support volunteering societies like Warwick Volunteers, Raising & Giving, and more.
• Work with societies and sports clubs for universal campaigns such as Movember, Black History Month and International Women’s Week.
• Collaborate with academic societies and departments on projects like Decolonising the Curriculum with PAIS.

Thank you for reading through my manifesto! To find out more on Instagram, follow @voteforenaya for my campaign, @warwickwomen for my Women’s Officer updates, or email me at Enaya.Nihal@warwick.ac.uk! Voting starts on Monday, the 27th of February (Week 8) and ends on Friday, the 3rd of March! Make sure to vote!