BY SUSAN AUSTIN
BRISBANE — In a blatant attack on campus feminism, the first 2002 National Union of Students Queensland Women's Committee meeting was called and chaired by NUSQ president Duncan Pegg, a right-wing Labor student. The meeting, held on January 19, was called in the women's room at Griffith University. The women's room is normally reserved for use by women only.
Outraged that an anti-feminist man should attempt to chair a women's committee meeting, feminist students went to the meeting to demand that it not go ahead. In response, Pegg called the police and the media. Five police officers and a Channel Seven news crew turned up. The head of campus security was also called to the scene.
Pegg and another anti-feminist male student then entered the room, insulting and provoking left-wing women committee members, who refused to participate in the meeting while the men remained involved. However, Pegg proceeded to convene and chair a meeting.
Despite Pegg's attempts to recognise it, this was not a legitimate meeting of the committee. It did not achieve quorum or comply with regulations in the NUS constitution. Womens' committee members were not given enough notice, and the meeting was chaired by a man, who is not eligible to be on the committee.
University of Queensland Union (UQU) women's rights officer Elizabeth Ahern condemned the meeting, stating that the actions of Pegg and other right-wing student officials "display a blatant disregard for feminist organising, and make a mockery of the discrimination, violence, harassment and oppression that women face in their everyday lives".
UQU secretary Lisa Chesters was among those protesting. "This outrageous action will trigger a campaign that will draw women together to defend their organising spaces", she told Green Left Weekly, explaining that it is now vital for feminists to re-build the cross-campus feminist network. She believes that NUS national committees will pursue the matter further.
Resistance activist Maria Voukelatos also supported the protest. "This incident shows that we cannot rely on having funded officials to run campaigns", Voukelatos argued. "The only way we can defend our right to control student organisations' resources is to strengthen feminist campaigns among students."
From Green Left Weekly, January 23, 2002.
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