Students protest against sexism

Mar 8 2013

Around 200 people have taken part in a protest against the "elitist sexist culture" at a Scottish university students' union.

The demonstration was held in response to sexist remarks made during a debating competition at Glasgow University Union (GUU) in which two women participants were heckled.

Rebecca Meredith, from King's College in Cambridge, and Marlena Valles, from University of Edinburgh, are said to have been harassed by audience members as they debated in a Glasgow Ancients event last weekend.

The Rally Against Campus Misogyny, organised by Glasgow University Feminist Society, was staged on International Women's Day outside the main university library.

Banners and placards saying "kick sexism off our campus", "end GUU sexism" and "smash sexism" were seen at the rally.

The society said the demonstration is to highlight "sexism" at the university, particularly at the GUU, where the heckling incident is "not a one-off".

Caroline Moore, 25, an honours year philosophy student who helped organised the protest, said she is delighted with the turnout for the rally. "It's gone really well and it has been so wonderful to receive so many messages of support for this campaign," she said.

"It could have gone another way but it didn't, and there was such a fantastic turnout. We're really hopeful for a change. The incident at the Ancients embodies an entire culture of misogyny that has gone on far too long."

Clopin Meehan, president of the feminist society, said: "What we need to remember is that the disgusting incident that happened at the debating finals was not a one-off incident. It's one in a long line of examples of an elitist sexist culture that is still permitted at the GUU. We need to change this and we cannot rely on the current GUU executive board doing that themselves."

A spokesman for University of Glasgow said GUU board members held a meeting immediately after the heckling incident and that the university has launched an investigation. Students are encouraged to come forward with allegations, which will be taken seriously, he said.