We spoke to the founder of LSBU’s newest Women’s Safety Society

Since the murder of Sabina Nessa and the conviction of Wayne Couzens, Sarah Everard’s killer, it has become clear that women’s solidarity should be our top priority in raising awareness of the risks to women’s safety in 2021. LSBU Women’s Safety Society, founded in sophomore education studies student Aimina Hussain, is South Bank’s newest society and brings this fundamental, gender issue to the London student scene.

After recruiting the entire team of its committee, Women’s Safety Soc has continued to grow since its participation in the LSBU Freshers’ Fair, promising to bring support, solidarity and awareness to women’s causes, “by striving to making the future a safer place for women ”.

The London Tab reached out to President and Founder Aimina Hussain about her new company and the impacts we can expect it to have – here’s what she said:

Tell us a bit about yourself!

“Hi! I am Aimina Hussain, a full-time pedagogical studies student at LSBU. I work part-time to help the student union and I am also a mental health workshop facilitator for the Rethink Mental Illness charity. … I want to do great things in my life and touch as many lives as possible I have an interest in teaching in the future, but the main thing I want to be is to be happy.

When and why did you decide to found the Women’s Safety Society?

“I started this company recently and honestly it’s because I had a really bad breakup. It made me get up and do things.

“As far back as I can remember, I have faced issues regarding my safety as a woman, and I was fed up with them. I was sick of all the falls out of being a woman, all the extra things we worry about and feel like we need to think about. I decided I wanted to act. I am no expert on women’s safety, but I am a young woman who wants to do whatever she can to protect girls, educate people, provide people with a safe space and investigate our safety issue. .

Have you had any personal experiences that helped you create this company?

“There are so many things in my life that I have experienced as a woman in the past and in my daily life that I have worked to heal and find peace with. “

What has been the response of the LSBU SU and the university itself?

“Oddly enough, the response was something I’ll never forget. I was approached by the Chancellor of the LSBU, Sir Simon Hughes, who wanted to tell me about my plans and ideas, and just wanted to know who I was.

“It was great because it felt like my voice was finally heard, and the fact that I represent so many other voices is just the best feeling.”

How has the LSBU student community been supported?

“The best thing about students is that we are all in the chapter of our lives where we really step into the world and find out about ourselves. It’s the best audience to have, and the comments are like gold to us.

“I have also spoken to a lot of men about the safety of women in this society and, as sad as it may sound, they took me a lot more seriously once I had a conversation with them. The issue at the heart of our society is really in everyone’s hands. Everyone needs to hear the harsh realities of our lives – not just hearing, but doing their part. And not just doing their part for their mothers, daughters and wives, but for all women. “

Why do you think the Women’s Safety Society is more necessary than ever?

“This company will be, and always has been, necessary. My thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s family since the conviction of Wayne Couzen, which horrified us all, but it’s a story about the 736 million women who have been victims of domestic violence, non-spousal sexual violence, or the two, at least once in their lifetime.

“Women’s safety concerns include physical violence, mental violence, harassment, toxicity, assault, the mindsets of many men and the norms of behavior of many men, and they are not just going to go away. It is mandatory that there be due and continuous action.

What are your main goals for the Women’s Safety Society in the coming year?

“Some of the things I would love to do this year: providing protective gear, self-defense training, collaborations with the Metropolitan Police, collaborations with LSBU Women’s Rugby, ‘tell your story’ sessions, fundraising charity funds, men’s workshops, a rage-room event, a “how to overcome the break-up” session, wellness events and fun stuff too! I feel like the members of my society are such a loving bunch of people that I want to give back to them too and help them enjoy their lives because it’s really hard being a woman.

“There is so much, so much that I want to do, and I’ve been working alone at this company for a very long time that I just want to go into college year with all the guns. I will definitely be running for President again next year because I founded this company, so it will be personal to me all my life. “

How did you find the recruitment for your committee?

“I love hearing people’s stories, so that was my favorite part, because I really got to be intimate with people who felt the same passion as me. I am very happy with the team I have recruited. We literally work every day haha! ”

The LSBU Women’s Safety Society is still very new and is open to all members, supporters and collaborations – to get in touch with them, send an email [email protected] or DM their Instagram page here. Information on how to join the society if you are an LSBU student is here. They have already collaborated with WalkSafe, a safety app for women, and their next event will be a meetup, details of which you can find on their social networks.

Aimina says, “If you are a student at LSBU, female, male or non-binary, introduce yourself and help us create something really special.

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