Sheffield Students’ Union hosted a series of events in March to mark Women’s History Month aimed at celebrating women and marginalised genders.
From Give It A Go sessions and career panels to creative workshops and bystander training, the programme encourages students to engage with gender equality on and beyond campus.
This year’s calendar was structured around two main themes. The first two weeks were Women in Sport. SU Women’s Officer Eloise Taylor said: “It’s getting people who haven’t tried sport to get into it.”
She added: “The next big theme is Women in the Workplace,” referencing a panel where alumni discuss “their role from university to their career.”
Taylor described engagement so far as “actually really good this year,” highlighting the early success of the Women in Sport week and launch day. Around 50 students attended Women’s Sports Day, many of whom “literally never played sport before,” which Taylor said was “exactly what we wanted.”
Not all events were light-hearted. Some tackle issues such as domestic abuse and inclusion in student societies. One panel focused on “how sports communities can be more inclusive for students that might have faced abuse and how all societies and clubs can be more inclusive to that,” said Taylor.
She also pointed to an Islam and Feminism discussion, co-hosted with the Feminist Society, which she described as a “really good event to go to” because the organisers were very “well-informed”.
Looking ahead, Taylor is also launching Denim Day, a national campaign raising awareness about sexual violence in April.
She said: “I’m trying to get as many uni students as possible to wear jeans on Denim Day”. Though the official date is 30th April, the SU will hold its event on 1st April to avoid the Easter break.
Another key aspect of WHM was creating inclusive, expressive spaces—like the Lib Fest Creative Workshop held in the Information Commons on 19th March. The event offered students space to reflect and connect through art.
Lydia McDowall, an attendee, said the workshop restored her faith in the campus community.
“I think it’s so crucial to have a liberating space that builds community creativity and uses art to amplify voices of marginalised and raise awareness.”
Students looking to stay involved are encouraged to join “spaces such as the feminist society or the gender equality committee,” attend liberation forums, or simply “talk to your friends about different subjects, like sexual harassment.”
Reflecting on the month, Taylor said WHM was about “building connections with other women and people of marginalised genders at the University” while also “just having a bit of fun as well celebrating women.”
