What have you done this month e.g. events, networking, etc? Did you manage to meet your goals? Did you work with any staff or students?
October involved a combination of student engagement, event delivery, collaboration and developing longer-term projects. One of my first opportunities to engage with students was the Freshers Fair on 9 October, where I helped introduce the Women’s community to new and returning students. This was a useful opportunity to speak directly with students, raise awareness of the community and encourage them to stay connected with upcoming activities and initiatives. I also worked alongside the VP Welfare on Welfare & Chill during Mental Health Awareness Day on 13 October. This provided an opportunity to engage with students around wellbeing and highlight the importance of creating supportive spaces on campus. The Women's Social was another important part of this month's activities. I explored ways to make the social more interactive and meaningful by introducing conversation cards around topics that women may not always feel comfortable discussing openly. These included PCOS, pelvic pain, menstrual health, accessing support during lectures and mental wellbeing. The idea was to create a relaxed environment where students could share experiences, learn from one another and become more aware of the support available at Essex. A significant area of focus this month has also been women's health and wellbeing. I have been working with the SU on developing the gynaecological health initiative, looking at ways to make information about conditions such as PCOS, pelvic pain and menstrual health more accessible to students. This has included exploring conversation cards, developing signposting materials and considering how we can use existing sanitary product provision points across campus to make relevant information and support more visible. I have also continued supporting the period poverty provision across campus, including checking and replenishing sanitary product supplies across different locations. This has helped me better understand the practical side of maintaining these provisions and the importance of ensuring students can access them when needed. I also supported the Breast Cancer Awareness initiative with Essex Blades Pole, contributing to the wider awareness activities. Another major focus has been developing Beyond the Table, a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging women to explore opportunities, build confidence and engage with different experiences beyond their usual university activities. I met with Emily Osborne from Essex Startups at Studio X to discuss the Pitch Room initiative. The event is designed to give women an opportunity to develop their ideas and pitching skills, while also allowing students without an existing business idea to participate through a guided case study.I have also been exploring opportunities to work with the Alumni and Careers teams on future activities that connect students with professional experiences, advice and opportunities. In addition, I have continued developing the SafeZone awareness initiative, looking at how we can make students more comfortable using the app by addressing common misconceptions around location tracking and explaining how its emergency features work.Towards the end of the month, the Women's Representative elections also took place. I was keen to connect with the newly elected representative and begin exploring how we can work together, share ideas and ensure that students have a stronger voice in shaping the Women's community. Overall, I feel I have made good progress towards my goals this month. I have started turning some of the ideas from September into practical initiatives, built connections with different university teams and gained a better understanding of the work involved in delivering projects across the university.
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