Bridget Rumball – Alright, so Anaiya, to start off, do you want to just tell me what you’re studying at uni at the moment and disclose if you are a member of any political party…Young Lib….Young Labour

Anaiya Dabasia – Yep, um, I’m studying Business Law and Management, Third Year

BR – Cool

AD – Um, third year, and I’m not affiliated with any political party.

BR – Beautiful. Um, so, what was your journey towards joining Launch. Why did you decide to join Launch? What on the ticket inspired you to join Launch?

AD – Okay, so, I’ve been sitting on the women in business committee for about two years.

BR – Cool

AD – It’s been an amazing experience. But, um, I’ve been working with the Guild Women’s Department quite closely when we’ve been, um, collaborating on a couple of the events we have had this year

BR – Cool

AD – They’re great, they’re awesome, Roshni is a really good friend of mine. Um, one thing that I would say that I would like to bring to the Guild is a more female professional development flavour

BR – Yep

AD – Yeah so working with WIB, it was just kind of…if I want to take it on a bigger scale, I need to go to the Guild. So then, Launch approached me, and I thought, yeah, it was a pretty good opportunity to take on

BR – Yep, cool, so it’s just been, because, as you touched on there, a lot of Launch’s policies this year, particularly to do with women’s department, are all around professional development, your experience being a business student – you thought that it would be valuable for you to run on the ticket?

AD – Yep, also that, also I’ve had experience in female professional development events.

BR – Cool

AD – Worked pretty closely with PWC holding female development events, so just things like that.

BR – Cool. So, what do you think is the logic behind Launch’s emphasis on female development, or professional development of female identifying students?

AD – I would say that everyone is at university to hopefully get a job at the end of it.

BR – Yep

AD – So, ah, in industry and in the professional sector, women have a huge, um a huge, not disadvantage, but a huge problem, you know, in climbing the corporate ladder, or even just entering into grad jobs and that sort of thing.

BR – Yep

AD – So, um, the Guild should help in that sort of respect. It’s great to hold fun events and engaging events on campus and stuff.

BR – Yep

AD – For the people who do want to engage with professional development, I think the option should be there and the Guild should be providing something.

BR – Okay, so you think it’s an important issue that Guild should be focussing on?

AD – Definitely.

BR – Okay. So, how do you plan to continue – like you said, you know Roshni closely as a friend and you’ve been working with the women’s department – how do you plan on continuing the work she has done on behalf of STAR, obviously the opposing ticket this year, how do you plan on continuing that across if you were elected into office?

AD – Um, that’s an interesting question. Um, I guess, STAR’s policy is great. One of the things that I did see on their um female policy or womens related policies was that they wanna um have a like campus orientated module that everyone should complete. What I found really interesting about that was that we reached out to some uni halls, and like sorry not halls, colleges, and we spoke to them about you know what are you guys doing and how can we help with that? Uhm, one of the things they said was that they run these orientation modules or orientation workshops so maybe if we had like a campus wide module, that would be awesome. So, um, nothing against them, I thought it was really interesting that we had the same policies, and I think it’s really great, so whoever is elected, if that policy is implemented it would be really beneficial for the entire like university campus culture to have that module in place can’t stress enough how important that is simply because it would, um, break down the barriers with, you know, sexual assaults on campus, consent, all them things that are really important. So I definitely will definitely work on things like that, I’m not neglecting anything like that, I’ll just say that, from my experience, and my position on Women in Business, I think a bringing of female professional development flavour to Guild Women’s Department will definitely be one of my key objectives.

BR – Okay, and I was going to build on that, discussing the Respect Now Always Investigation, which was the investigation regarding sexual assault and harassment on campus. Um, what are Launch’s plans to continue the implementation of the reports recommendations, kind of like STAR have been doing this year, taking action regarding what the report has recommended. What are Launch’s policies? Particularly with the women’s department regarding that?

AD – So definitely with lighting. Um, that’s a huge ongoing issue with both political parties on campus. Um, I’d also say education is one of my key policies, so not just education of the females on campus but also the males, so everyone needs to be on board. I’ll definitely be running things like um workshops. Even more low key casual events where people can come and just be informed on these issues that have been happening on campus. I feel like education will be the best thing and the only thing to combat this. Because, you can pipe on and hold protests and hold all them sort of things, but if people aren’t listening to you, there’s no point just screaming and shouting. So definitely, holding educational events and workshops are the key to combating this.

BR – So more specific ways of engagement with the colleges?

AD – Definitely.

BR – And are there any policies regarding kind of the Respect Now Always Investigation with the Women’s Department regarding colleges specifically, or are you more focussing on the university side of things?

AD – I think the colleges themselves are, well from conversations I have had with girls from St Cats and a few of the other colleges, they’re doing their own um you know orientation workshops, consent workshops, sexual health workshops which is great. Another policy that we have which technically comes under welfare, is having a female security guard at huge campus events.

BR – Yep, okay

AD – Um, I feel that makes someone really approachable at these events. So, you may not want to go up to, you know, a 40 year old male security guard and tell him, “I’ve just been sexually assaulted,” or, “I’ve just had something happen to me.” so having a female there would be really helpful for these victims, I suppose. And also having you know the Red Frog set up, phone chargers, all those things really help when you’re stuck in a situation like that at a huge event.

BR – And I think the Launch policy page stipulated that it was one female security guard for every 100 attendees.

AD – Yeah, yep

BR – Is that ratio backed by anything? Do you think that we’re gonna need more female security guards in future? Or are you just sticking to that amount now?

AD – Um, I would say that it’s never been done before.

BR – Yep

AD – So, um, I’ve come to a few college eve..campus events where there hasn’t been any female security guards at all.

BR – Yep

AD – So um, and the Tav has a great incentive, of the, I think it’s

BR – Ask for Angela?

AD – Ask for Angela, yep that’s it, that’s great. Um, but, huge huge events, like EMAS or um you know something that’s held like or even O Day

BR – Often more difficult to find people to help…

AD – Yes, yep, definitely. So we’ll test it out with one to a hundred, but I feel like if we need more, it’s just going to the Guild Council and saying we need more. Pump it up.

BR – Um, and do you think your campaign for women’s officer specifically has changed at all due to the fact that you’re being led by a woman? So Kate is your um Launch’s Presidential candidate this year. Do you feel that your team has a better grasp of women’s issues as opposed to Conrad from STAR at all? Do you think your issues are better informed, worse informed?

AD – Look, I don’t know how informed STAR Candidates are on their women’s policy. Um, I would say that both the Kate’s, both our campaign manager Kate Pryce and Kate Fletcher, have done a great job in you know, letting all of our um candidates know on the women’s policy and getting everyone involved. We’ve had good discussions and good brainstorms on what the girls and the guys thinks needs to be changed on campus. In that respect, I think Kate Fletcher being our Presidential candidate is an amazing leeway into implementing female policy. I feel like she herself would feel quite closely to some of the policies we are trying to implement.

BR – And naturally it’s hard for some of the Launch candidates to get a grasp on what being in office is like considering that STAR has been in office for quite a long time, so a lot of the policies that you’re putting forward are somewhat theoretical I guess? They’re not really grounded in any experience I guess. Do you feel like you’re disadvantaged by that at all? I mean, you’ve had engagement with the Women’s Department anyway, so…

AD – Yeah I have had engagement with them. Um, yeah, in some respect, I haven’t personally had experience in sitting on the Guild Council. But I feel like Kate has. So um she would have some sort of idea of what can be implemented and what can’t be. Um, so if I was to say something that was completely out of like what I would not be able to be implemented, I’m sure we have a good enough relationship for her to be like, no that’s not going to happen, kind of thing.

BR – Okay. Um, and just to finish up, what do you think is one thing that people should have in mind if they are going to vote? What should they remember about you? Or about Launch’s women specific policies? Or how um how Launch is dealing with female identifying, non-binary students on campus? What’s the one thing that they should remember?

AD – Um, I think particularly the female identifying students, when they are voting for womens, they need to consider not just what’s going to happen on campus for your three or four years that you’re here, but what’s going to happen with your time beyond that. And how can university equip you for the challenges you’re going to face?

BR – Yep

AD – So, um, you’re going to face a number of hurdles getting into jobs and just in everyday life, so, if the Guild can help you with that, that’s great. And if I am elected, I 100% will work towards helping you with that, because that is one of the things that I really believe in.

BR – And that’s applicable to most degrees as well like I suppose business but also arts students as well would find value in that?

AD – Definitely. Yep yep. So holding things like um, helping Arts students especially if you have a few that have been successful in the industry, or it gives you you know a draft path to follow kind of thing. So um, yeah, where that closely aligns with you, vote with what can actually be implemented.  

By Pelican Magazine

Pelican is the second-oldest student publication in Australia and the only independent paper at UWA. If you like having opinions, writing, drawing, and/or free tickets to local events, then Pelican is the place for you! We print six themed issues a year, and run a stream of online content.

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