NZUSA - NEW ZEALAND UNION OF STUDENTS' ASSOCIATIONS

The Tertiary Women's Focus Group is the women�s caucus of the New Zealand Union of Students Associations. We are a collective of past and present women on student�s association executives from tertiary institutions around the country who set women�s policy and run women focussed campaigns and events such as No Diet Day, and Thursdays in Black. We have our own operating structure and three yearly women�s only conferences where we meet, network and share information and experiences. TWFG primarily addresses sexism as it appears within the education system. However, TWFG also aims to address inequities in wealth, class, ethnicity, sexuality, age and physical ability, as barriers to education.

Our philosophy and outlook is based in an understanding that discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, age and physical ability is currently part of Aotearoa/New Zealand society, denying women equality of opportunity and an equitable share of social and economic advantages and benefits. Educational institutions have and continue to play a key role in reflecting and reinforcing such discrimination. TWFG understands that women, in particular, are affected by discrimination based on their gender. TWFG understands that society, as it is presently constructed, gives men, as a group, power over women as a group. Thus TWFG is defines sexism as male privilege that is deployed through social, economic and political institutions and norms. TWFG also recognises that women are not a homogenous group. Women of different classes, ethnicities, sexual identities, ages, levels of physical ability may have different interests, priorities and needs. TWFG is committed to acknowledging and addressing these differences in its work and in on-going consultation with other women's groups and organisations.

TWFG argues that sexism, as it relates to education, takes two major forms: First, many women have been either overtly or covertly denied full and equal participation in the social and economic activities that are accorded a high status within our society. Secondly, the social and economic areas of activity where women tend to predominate, either in terms of numbers or level of influence, are often undervalued.

Discrimination against women is a global phenomenon. Consequently TWFG recognises the importance of women, in particular women students, from all countries working together and informing each other of their condition and struggles. The most effective way to campaign against sexism and discrimination is for women to work together. A women's sector of NZUSA is thus a necessity for women to develop ideas, learn skills and share experiences and ensure that NZUSA as a whole is responsive to women's needs.

The National Women�s Rights Officer is the facilitator of TWFG. See the contacts page for how to get in touch with TWFG members and women�s representatives around New Zealand.

1973 A sex liberation officer & A Women's rights Officer Both NZUSA Officers

1976 Two Women's Commission delegates as National Officers. All campuses sent Women's Rights Officers (WRO)

1978 WRAC called for National Co-ordinator

1979 WRAC established as a standing committee of NZUSA. Co-ordinator appointed.

1981 Part-time WRAC Co-ordinator became the Women's Vice-President.

1982 WAC established and power was devolved back to a campus level.

1984 A full-time NZUSA Women's Vice-president position was established.

1986 The Working Party on NZUSA restructuring recommended that women in education be retained as a priority by the establishment of a women's research officer. A woman was hired for one year.

1987 The position of Women's Vice-president is lost.

1988 NZUSA reviews the WAC. The Women's conference prior to NZUSA conferences replaces formal structure. There was now no staff member or elected representative working on the interests of women students.

National Women's Co-ordinator: 1994 Jan Logie

1992 UWIN was established from the women's conferences. UWIN took the form of a newsletter complied by women on Exec's for women students.

1993 UWIN/Women's conferences successfully lobby for the establishment of a full-time Staff member to co-ordinate and facilitate activities of the women federation members. This is agreed to. NZUSA and the Aotearoa Polytechnic Students Union (now called the Aotearoa Tertiary Students Association � ATSA) decide to share premises and three joint staff; a researcher, office administrator and a campus liaison officer.

1994 The Women's Networking co-ordinator position is filled. UWIN becomes a lobby and campaigns co-ordination group. UWIN obtains constitutional status within NZUSA and has a budget line within the NZUSA budget.

National Women's Co-ordinator:

1995 Helena Court

1997 Christina Rizos

1995 UWIN changed its name to the Women's Education Coalition Aotearoa (WECA) to reflect change in function, composition and sphere of influence. WECA worked towards having a relationship with Te Mana Akonga. Principles were developed to help the organisations work together to address the concerns of Nga Wahine Maori. The position of campus liaison officer becomes redundant.

1996 Women from Te Mana Akonga leave WECA. Reasons include WECA not adhering to the agreed principles. Women's co-ordinator leaves, position remains vacant for some months. There is some debate about the continuance of the position. The position is continued. Te Mana Akonga begins to share premises with NZUSA and APSU.

1997 WECA worked on developing a policy document. This included a Pro-choice policy. This caused a great amount of controversy, with SOUL (Students to Uphold Life) organising in opposition to the policy being passed. Late in the year a working party is set up to resolve the relationship between WECA and Te Mana Akonga. There are a number of initiatives proposed to make WECA a bicultural forum. One of the initiatives includes kaumaatua/kuia attending WECA conferences. This was not considered to be acceptable by all campuses.
Some campuses wish to retain a space for women only at conferences.

1998 Discussion continues into the New Year. February conference saw the voting on the issue of how to include Maori participation in WECA. The proposal of men attending WECA conference as support people failed. WECA dissolves. OUSA women give notice of immediate withdrawal from WECA because they agree with Te Mana Akonga's proposal and believed WECA should have taken it on board. Members of the MUSA women's group also leave WECA citing differences over the position that other women in the group have taken on the issue, however the MUSA women affirm their commitment to a bi-cultural practice. A Hui in May attended by representatives from each campus and roopu confirms that WECA should be wound up at the next women's conference and a new group to be formed based on a culturally appropriate structure and practice.
WECA is formally wound up at the July women's conference. The new group proposed at the May Hui is named the Tertiary Women's Focus Group. Part of the process to develop the new group it is decided that the group will have a Core Group Structure, so that representatives from Te Mana Akonga, Pacific Island Students, Aotearoa Polytechnic Student Union and NZUSA meet to plan before each Hui/Conference. It is hoped that the Core Group will act as a guide for the NZUSA Women's Co-ordinator. MUSA and OUSA rejoin TWFG.
The Tertiary Women's Focus group meets formally for the first time before the NZUSA September conference.

1999 The outcome of the Voluntary Student Membership referendum is that NZUSA largest member AUSA goes voluntary. NZUSA has a reduced budget for the 1999 year. There a move to make the position of Women's Co-ordinator redundant. A motion to make the position redundant fails for want of a seconder at the July NZUSA conference. However, due to reduced financial circumstances for 2000 the position is once again under threat later in the year. The position is then made redundant in December.

2001 Dayna Berghan

2002 Anna McMartin

2002 Roshni Sami

2003 Camilla Belich

2004 Camilla Belich

2005 Karen Price

2006 Jennifer Jones

2000 TWFG Representatives were appointed to Fedex in absence of National Women's Rights Officer. TWFG passed a resolution that men and women were to be allowed to attend TWFG Conferences as support people. However due to the decreased budget TWFG could no longer sustain a core group and instead passed a resolution to appoint the WROs as a core group body. In April the first National Women's Rights Officer was elected by a teleconference of NZUSA Women. The Position is part time (20 hours a week) and was not based in Wellington. This created challenges of networking and travel.

2001 NWRO based in Wellington at Federation Office. In July a formal TWFG Operating Structure and Policy are drafted with Te Mana Akonga and discussed at conference. In September TWFG Operating Structure and Policy are ratified, the TWFG Representatives are also taken off Fedex and instead become part of the core body with the Women's Rights Officers. Membership of TWFG is formalised as any woman in a tertiary Institution Student Association in New Zealand, but priorities of decision are given to NZUSA and Te Mana Akonga affiliated Institutions.

2002 Policy to make participation in NWRO elections women only drafted. Web-based discussion group now well established.

Focus: Should the focus of NZUSA/women's caucus be strictly university education issues, or wider.

Devolution: Should the power (resources, money, and decisions) be based on a campus or national level?

Autonomy: Should the women work within or alongside NZUSA as a whole? What shape should either of these options take?

Bi-cultural practice: How should women from Te Mana Akonga and NZUSA work together?

Membership: Who should or should not be eligible to be members of the NZUSA Women's Group?