Arifa Aminy

Get to know Arifa

I am from Afghanistan, where I experienced discrimination on a tremendous scale. I grew up in an unequal society where being a woman is the hardest challenge, and there is no right to live if you identify with LGBTQ+ communities. I fought for education in the Taliban regime by start going to secret classes. Therefore, I understand the importance of equality of opportunity for all.

This year I want to...

I want to improve student wellbeing by reducing the waiting time for counselling and other mental health services, increase prayer spaces, hold cultural and festive celebrations on campus to promote integration and inclusivity and create study space facilities for students who have carer responsibilities and especially for single mothers or fathers.

Priorities

Promote greater integration of religious and ethnic groups at UCL.

I will do this holding cultural and festive celebrations on campus to promote integration and inclusivity.
I will also work to make sure that UCL's facilities are accommodating for all groups, e.g. by increasing the number of prayer rooms available for Muslim students.

30/11: Met the Provost and discussed the importance of the cultural events for more students engagement and Integration. The marketing and event management team are working on the Winter Festival and other upcoming cultural celebrations in next year such as Chinese New Year. 

24/02:

• £48.000 was approved for prayer spaces at the central Estates Strategy Board.
• Events so far celebrated : Winter Arts festival, Lunar New Year and Central Asia festival is coming soon at the end of March.

31/05: I have organized the following events. Black history month, LGTBQ history month, Women's history month "girls night in" events (around 10 events had been organised during women's history month). Also, Winter Arts festival, International festival, Lunar New Year, Navroz (the Central Asian festival that had huge community engagement) were the events I have organised to promote greater integration among different religious and ethnic group. We secured funding for prayer facilities and also secured funding for free Iftar during Ramadan month. Working on the final big event of year to celebrate big Eid with societies and communities at UCL.

ONGOING

Develop greater support for student mental health.

I aim to improve student wellbeing by reducing the waiting time for counselling and other mental health services. I want to urge UCL to invest more in our wellbeing centre so that students are able to get the help they need quicker.

30/11: Working on mental health charter report with UCL. Meeting regularly with  Student Psychological and Counselling services at UCL to hear updates from them and give feedback from students.

31/05: Working on student mental health charter and making the mental health services more accessible and inclusive for all students. Discussed the intersectionality of the counselling services with the Provost.

ONGOING

Make access to education more equitable in UCL.

I will do this by providing childcare support to encourage the participation of students with caring responsibilities.

30/11: Working with EDI steering group to provide equitable opportunities for underrepresented  groups, such as offering internship and trainings.

31/05: Currently reviewing existing services and policies and identifying what is lacking and produce and policy research about BAME award gap. Also working with UCL career extract program to promote the internship opportunities among BME students'.

ONGOING

Support Liberation Officers

I will try to make sure to have regular meetings and discussions with all liberation officers to provide advice and support to me meet their priorities. 

30/11: Working with UCL EDI team on student-led campaigns. Working with Equity and Inclusion Unit at the SU on support for our liberation officers in their role and working on their priorities. Working with SSW to create BME social network, organised BHM, working with BME officers to organise secure funds to address the BME award gap.

24/02: supported BME Student Officers with Black History Month, helping LGBQ+ Student Officer with Stonewall campaign and organising meeting with UMC to discuss students' concern related to Stonewall and making sure UCL provides greater support for the LGBTQ+ community,  helping Women's Officers with their project like organising International Women's day etc.

31/05: LGBTQ+ Officer supported to organise the LGTBQ history month also supported in organizing open meeting with Provost, Women's Officers supported with their events and projects in Women's history month, BME Students' Officers supported with their events and projects.

ONGOING

Improve Report and Support System

Work with EDI to improve the reporting system.

30/11: Currently working with UCL to improve and streamline reporting mechanisms. The EDI team have produced a report on Report and Support and how to improve it.

31/05: Planning to organize a recorded session to talk about how to report harmful behaviour and get supported. We will use the recorded session in our social media and web to promote R+S system.

ONGOING

Provide sports facilities for disabled students

I will continue working with UCL StEC to secure more funding.

30/11: The SU received a £10,000 grant to support disabled students in sport. The Disability Sport and Physical Activity initiative looks to provide suitable opportunities for disabled students to be active and has been really successful so far. ONGOING

Projects

Raising awareness of sexual violence

Organising trainings, events,  and campaigning to raise awareness. Working with other officers and SU staff on a student-led campaign to raise awareness of sexual violence in February.

Use of student spaces for faith provision

I have initiated discussion with StEC to take this priority forward.

Child friendly study spaces facilities

I have been bringing up child-friendly study spaces in key meetings e.g. with the Provost, Vice-President (Operations), Student Experience Committee. Will continue to push for this with library services.

31/05: We secured funding for child-friendly study spaces.

Respond to Afghanistan crisis

Currently working with our Volunteering Service. Students trained and started working with Hopscotch and Paiwand  in hotels to support Afghan Refugees.

31/05: More than 45 students started volunteering with partner organisation and students society raised more than 1500 fund for Red Cross and Hopscotch in international festival.

Period Project

Organising campaign, opening period product shop, period voucher, events for raising awareness, free period products in UCL bathrooms.

24/02: In 9 UCL toilets, there are free period products available. The project received lots of positive feedback. We have the funding in place to continue with our pilot, so Sodexo will continue to refill in the 9 pilot locations.

31/05: We secured 90k funding for our free period products project.

International Festival

We organized a one week event to celebrate international festival to international food days, cultural show, language and Art workshops and the biggest event was Gala event in Bloomsbury which was the Art showcase, societies raised fund to support Afghan refugees.

31/05: The international festival had huge student engagement and we raised over £1500 to support two charities Hopscotch and Red Cross.

Campaign to support LGTBQ+ students' in relation to Stonewall issue and working on LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group

Working with the EDI team to provide support and protection for the LGBTQ+ community and make sure the scheme provides all support that Stonewall provided.

31/05: After UCL left the Stonewall organization I stood for LGTBQ+ students' rights to raise students' voices in meetings with the EDI committee, UMC and the Provost to hear students' concern in relation to the Stonewall issue and organized open conversation with the Provost and students. The meeting was chaired by the LGTBQ+ Officer to answer student's questions related to Stonewall. We successfully organised the open meeting with the Provost and after the open meeting the Provost allocated funding to support transgender and non-binary students which would be available from September 2022.

Students' Union EDI Strategy

31/05: Working on the plan of the SU EDI strategy.

Gender neutral toilats

31/05: working with UCL staff to create the gender neutral toilet map on campus.