My name is Yasmeen Bashir and I’m running for President of the Students’ Union. I’m in my second year of BA(Hons) International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies. My passion stems from caring about the student experience and I am determined to make a difference and continue to represent the student voice

Previous experience and accomplishments:

• Elected Women’s Officer 2020/21
• Successfully hosted an employability event that entailed a panel discussion of women’s experiences in the workplace in different industries
• Assisting the Centre for Equity and Inclusion to deliver Consent Awareness workshops in September
• Working to ensure the availability of free and sustainable period products across campus

What I want to do and how I will do this for you:

• Introduce a variety of assessments to accommodate students’ strengths: To have a truly inclusive education, I believe there should be a range of assessments to cater to your skills. This will complement the work done by the Equity and Inclusion team around the Education for Social Justice Framework to address and close the degree awarding gap
• Ensure that opportunities for employment become a key focus: Uncertainty surrounding employability has become a significant factor in affecting our mental health and I want to address this by making sure London Met provides you with the opportunity to hit the ground running after graduation. This will be through more workshops that enable you to develop practical employability skills and making placement opportunities more accessible for you
• Improve and expand the range of mental health services available in university: The pandemic has taken its toll on us as students, and I want to work with Students services in ensuring the project they have embarked on is successful by inserting the student voice and enhance the quality of life in London Met
• Work to include LGBTQ+ education in the curriculum: We have worked towards decolonising the curriculum, but I want to take this a step further and include training and seminars on the history of the LGBTQ+ community and tackling homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination against the community
• Tackle the stigma surrounding sexual health for women and students in general: Sexual health is one of the major aspects of our lives and yet there are so many misconceptions surrounding this topic, which can result in damaging perceptions of people’s sexuality and I will work with the Sex and Relationships Society to create a healthy dialogue in a safe space

Why I want to run and why you should vote for me:

There is a saying, “Nothing about us, without us” and this holds true when it comes to policymaking within the university. As a member of the four Liberation Groups and being a student myself, I promise to lead the Officer team strategically to amplify your voice and get things done.

So vote Yasmeen Bashir as your #1 preference for President of the SU!

If you would like to learn more about my campaign, find me on Instagram: @nesmaye