By Ella Simons
The first motion of the evening came from Time to Act, with Becca Rumsey taking the podium, surrounded by fellow members. They stated that “the lack of mandatory consent and bystander training across the university and Students’ Union fails to create a safe and secure community for all students” and despite an apology statement from the Union, more needs to be done. They also shared that “the Students’ Union has failed to collect and publish data on the prevalence of sexual misconduct at Cardiff University which was proposed in Time to Act: Tackling Sexual Misconduct At Cardiff University a 2023 AGM motion. This is despite the research suggesting that “62% of students will experience sexual violence at UK universities” with approximately half happening in the first 6-8 weeks of term, as shared in the motion agenda (which is available to all students on the Cardiff Students’ Union website).
In response the Union has shared via the agenda the steps and procedures they are taking to ensure the safety of students and to make education around sexual violence a priority. Such as ‘Bystander Training’, the ‘Let’s Talk Consent Campaign’, and transparency in data sharing. However, this is not enough. Time to Act said on stage that everyone “deserves to feel safe in an institution that they love” but “the systems are broken” and they have had to take things into their own hands. They shared that emails, statements and infographics won’t be enough from the union, with student safety buried under policy documents. However, Time to Act said change will be seen in everyday action – it is time to act now, Cardiff.
The motion passed unanimously.
Photos by Mael Le Paih