Women's Only Gym Sessions!

I am really proud to announce that I have successfully lobbied to bring a women’s only gym hour to Cardiff University students. This is such a good example of how we, at the Students’ Union, can represent the people we were mandated to, and who present us with problems which can later result in positive change!

I was first approached about this issue just days into my job, when a friend in the year below me asked about the possibility of lobbying the gym for a women’s only slot.  Early on I knew the importance of having data to prove the need to take action and so I asked the student to go away, gather some signatures as a petition, and then come back to me – which she did! As Heath students, we often use the Cardiff Medical Centre (CMC) Sports and Social Club and so these were the first people I approached. Initially we took a knock back, as apparently these things aren’t as easy as a fresh-faced newly elected officer thought they could be! Following that, VP Sports also asked the University sports facilities (unfortunately met by another no).

As the year passed, the AMM passed a motion from Taslima Alam (Black and Ethnic Minorities Officer 2014-2015) to encourage the SU to become more Muslim-friendly. Again, the women’s only slot was playing at the back of my mind, as something that would not only benefit Muslim women, but also any other female who  for religious or other reasons wishes to go to the gym and use the equipment without feeling self-conscious!

In February, we ran an ideas cafe in the IV Lounge asking students for feedback on a range of things, including facilities. One of the improvements you asked for was 'girls only' gym sessions. 

So I jumped at the opportunity last month when I met with the managers at the Social Centre, tentatively asking once again – this time with a different result! Next week sees the first women’s only gym session at CMC Sports and Social Centre (located at the Heath, but any University student is welcome to use). I sincerely hope that that such a session will also be replicated in the Cardiff University Sports facilities, and that we will continue to strive to make the SU more Muslim friendly, as we were mandated to do. I hope that students will continue to have their voice heard by the full time officers, either by approaching us directly, or through formal channels such as AMM and Student Senate.

I’m proud of this small but significant accomplishment, but there's so much more that we can do. You said, we did.