Petition launched to remove man elected to role of women's officer for University of Tasmania student union

Updated

Students are petitioning against the election of a man to the position of women's officer for the Tasmanian University Union (TUU), urging the union to replace him with a woman.

The union held by-elections earlier this year when James Ritchie was elected to the position of women's officer for the Student Representative Council.

A petition started by University of Tasmania (UTAS) Women's Collective on the website change.org has attracted 700 signatures in the space of 24 hours.

The petition states that Mr Ritchie "was elected to the role of women's officer unconstitutionally and unethically and yet the TUU staff refuses to disqualify his candidacy".

Lucy Haas, who sits on the executive committee of UTAS' Women's Collective, told 936 ABC Hobart's Sarah Gillman that Mr Ritchie should stand down from the role.

"The aim that we have with this petition is to ask for James Ritchie to do the honourable thing and stand down as a lot of the UTAS student population believe that him taking the role of women's officer is not correct," she said.

The TUU's requirements for the position does not include a preferred gender identification for the role, stating only that "an interest in higher education and student issues would be advantageous".

But Women's Collective said in 2000 the state's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner issued a ruling that the women's officer must "identify" as a woman on the grounds that "the role exists to advocate for women who experience oppression in relation to men".

The current state Anti-Discrimination Officer, Robin Banks, said she could see no legal reason why that job would need to be filled by a woman.

"There isn't a current exemption in place and it means that it's a matter for the electorate, in this case the students of UTAS, to determine who they elect to that role," she said.

It would be pretty odd for men to think that they could be well represented by a woman if there was a men's role. Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks

"I think it's potentially really exciting that a man is concerned about women's issues and wants to help women to represent those issues to the powers that be.

"I guess the question is: is that the most effective way to do it? Are there things about the role that a woman would be better suited to do?"

However, she said there were cases in which a man would have difficulties in providing adequate representation for the women he represents.

"Where we have students from a range of cultural backgrounds there may be women students who may not speak to a man about issues that they face on campus to do with their gender," she said.

"It would be pretty odd for men to think that they could be well represented by a woman if there was a men's role.

"People with a disability generally want to be represented by people with the same lived experience that they have."

Young Liberals accused of using women's issues a 'plaything'

Tasmania's Young Labor president Adam Clarke accused the Young Liberal-dominated representative council of playing politics with the position.

"This whole nonsense around the women's officer position at the northern UTAS campus has come about because the Young Liberals see it as their plaything," Mr Clarke said in a statement.

People have said that they weren't even aware that the by-election was occurring. UTAS Women's Collective executive committee member Lucy Haas

"It's very sad and troubling to see how the youth of the liberal movement view women's rights."

Kyle Barrett, the university union's Young Liberal northern regional secretary, said ability, not gender, was the key requirement for the job.

"He [Mr Ritchie] has the ability to listen, advocate and get results and I think that's the most fundamental point," he said.

"The point could be made if a female of less ability was in the role in terms of representing students and getting things done and making the case for an issue, that maybe women would be worse represented than they would under James."

Mr Ritchie was one of two candidates to run for the position of women's officer.

The other was a woman but Ms Haas said it was difficult to explain why Mr Ritchie was elected over a woman.

"From having discussion on social media a lot of people have said that during the election process, which was held online, that they were unable to access the site or it wasn't working correctly," she said.

"Other people have said that they weren't even aware that the by-election was occurring."

The University of Queensland Union women's officer, Amy Jelacic, replied to the petition, saying the appointment of a man to the position was extremely disappointing.

"It is an embarrassment for TUU and for the student union community around Australia, and I trust it will be rectified as soon as possible," she said.

"This incident is a poor reflection on the TUU returning officer, on Mr Ritchie, and on all others who enabled this farce to occur."

In future, role open only to 'women identifying' students: TUU

This afternoon, the TUU responded to the controversy surrounding Mr Ritchie's election by declaring that in future the women's officer position could only be filled by "women identifying" students.

The TUU said in a statement Mr Ritchie would not be dumped from the role but that he would decide whether or not to stay in coming days.

TUU state president Heidi La Paglia said in the statement the situation was "disappointing".

"State council is working to improve governance structures in the TUU to avoid future errors," she said.

Topics: education, university-and-further-education, unions, women, womens-health, community-and-society, tas, university-of-tasmania-7005

First posted