6 ways students are promoting gender equity on campus

March is International Women’s Month. While it’s a great time to celebrate the amazing women in our lives and discuss important topics about how to make the world a more equal place, efforts to promote gender equity require year-round commitment from individuals, organisations and governments to ensure progress is permanent.

Here at UTS, social justice is in our DNA. Although there is still a long way to go, even small efforts added together can make a big difference. That’s why we try to foster a community that is a place where everyone can thrive.

Here are just some of the student groups, faculty initiatives and university-wide campaigns that are helping us live and breathe our dedication to providing equal opportunities in education and the wider community.

Mentoring opportunities

Having role models and someone to be an advocate for you is important in any career field, but it’s especially true for women who are looking to work in STEM fields. UTS has several mentoring programs that pair women and gender-diverse students with academic leaders and industry professionals to explore different career pathways, gain support networks, build confidence and develop the skills they’ll need to succeed.

The Women in STEM Research (WiSR) Mentoring Program connects higher-degree research students with academic and industry leaders for one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring activities, professional development workshops, training sessions and career opportunities. You can learn more about the WiSR Mentoring Program here.

For undergraduate and Master’s by Coursework students studying engineering or IT, the Lucy Mentoring Program is a fantastic opportunity for women and gender-diverse students to expand their networks, connect with role models, and start building their careers before they graduate. Learn more about the Lucy Mentoring Program here.

Both of these programs are part of the Women in Engineering and IT (WiEIT) initiative, which aims to remove barriers and ensure that study and career journeys in engineering and IT aren’t limited by gender.

Building a safe community through Respect.Now.Always.

Wanna spoon? Ask first! At UTS, we believe everyone has the right to live, study and work safely. We’re proud to be a member of the national Respect.Now.Always. initiative, which is dedicated to preventing gender-based violence on campus and in our communities. 

This initiative includes a suite of year-round activities, including Consent Matters training for all students and staff, Respect at Uni Week, the Uncensored event series and the UTS sexual violence prevention campaign.

Students play an important role in driving these efforts. If you're keen to help out at events and organise activities on campus, learn more about how to get involved here.

Gender Equity Ambassadors program

If you’re keen to be hands-on with promoting gender equity on campus, then become a Gender Equity Ambassador at UTS. Student ambassadors wear many hats and contribute to a range of activities such as facilitating workshops at high schools, coordinating networking events with industry, serving as mentors for other students, and contributing to overall strategy to shape the future of gender equity on campus.

Ambassadors are also eligible for up to 10 credit points through the UTS BUILD Program, as well as having their volunteer hours recognised for a UTS SOUL Award.

Learn more about becoming a Gender Equity Ambassador here.

Support for carers

There’s no way to completely compartmentalise life, and just because you’re at uni doesn’t mean that you can leave your personal life at the door. This is especially true for students and staff with caring responsibilities – for example, those with children, or those who are responsible for taking care of a parent or other loved one.

To help make this juggle easier, UTS provides support and accommodations including flexible study loads and assessment adjustments, on-site daycare, counselling services, on-campus breastfeeding rooms, financial assistance, and so much more.

Check out the full list of what’s available here.

The UTS Women’s Collective

Organised through the UTS Student’s Association, The Women’s Collective is dedicated to meeting the needs of women on campus and ensuring it’s a supportive place in a variety of ways big and small. This includes everything from addressing issues of sexism and sexual harassment on campus, consulting on university policies to improve gender equity, and organising free period products on campus.

If you’re keen to get involved, you can learn more about the Women’s Collective here.

Student societies

Uni will quickly become your home away from home, so finding your people and building a community of supportive friends and mentors is important. Several student groups on campus are dedicated to ensuring that women and gender-diverse students have opportunities to connect and lean on each other.

While UTS has more than 180 clubs and societies, a few dedicated to promoting gender equity are:  

Women in Business: This society helps members build networks, connect with mentors, find career development opportunities, and develop their skills in the dynamic world of business.  

WXSTEMM: If you’re a woman or non-binary person studying science, technology, engineering, maths or medicine at UTS, this is the group for you. This group hosts a variety of social and industry events designed to create connections and support students throughout their time at uni and into their future careers.  

Women in Sport: Looking to try a new sport, or get back into one? The Women in Sport group gives female-identifying students a chance to sample a variety of athletic activities like tennis, weightlifting, dance, martial arts and more.

This is only a snapshot of some of the groups, initiatives and activities contributing to gender equity on campus. 

Learn more about how we’re committed to achieving gender equity through the UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion’s website here.