UGent Women’s Strike – More care, Less cuts
MORE CARE, LESS CUTS (ENG)Over the past year, the UGent community has been flooded with a constant stream of top-down imposed budget cuts – mostly targeting the essential care and support services that keep the university going: the privatization of student housing and child care, price increases in the student restaurants, continued outsourcing of the cleaning services, … Regarding transgressive behavior, little progress has been made in its prevention and follow-up, this despite the management’s promises. The cherry on the cake is the recently announced increase of the student tuition fees. We are literally sick and tired of these austerity policies at UGent that hit the most vulnerable the hardest, and jeopardize our wellbeing.
In the tradition of the women’s strike, our university practices are different – shaped by militancy and solidarity. Thus, on March 8, International Women’s Day, we will collectively lay down work, productive as well as reproductive, in protest against the careless policies that shape UGent. Against these policies, we direct our energy towards a feminist university that is driven by care.
Our demands for a feminist university:– Install an independent disciplinary committee and contact point for transgressive behavior and discrimination (sexism, racism, transphobia, ableism etc.), specifically for higher education
– Stop the outsourcing and privatization of the staff for essential work (cleaning staff, daycare staff, logistical staff, etc.)
– Halt the increase of student tuition fees and make a strong plea towards the Flemish government for more public investment in higher education
Join us on the 8th of March at 12h at the Rectorate for an afternoon of joyful feminist militancy with a potluck of soup and cake, workshops, and an open mic. We will provide soup, but feel free to bring some goodies to share!
Programme at the Rectorate – St Pietersnieuwstraat 25, Ghent12h: Welcome
12h15: Speeches with potluck and press action
12h45: Workshops and activities
13h30: Open mic and testimonies
See you there! 