Sustained engagement between local bodies and student leadership is essential to making sure policies reflect the realities of young women and the communities they are part of, both on campus and beyond. Learn more about what your reps are doing in this field right now.
On 9 December 2025, your QMSU President, Diya Selastin attended the Tower Hamlets Women’s Commission’s formal public review on safety in public spaces, representing university students. The session focused on women’s safety across the borough and sat directly within the Commission’s Equality Objective 4, improving safety and opportunities for women.
The room was filled with representatives from local organisations and public bodies. Diya was the only student present. And so, when discussions turned to safety in public spaces, commuting, and everyday risk, she spoke about the realities faced by university women moving between campus, accommodation, and the wider city. By the end of the session, the Commission began discussing the need for a separate conversation focused specifically on university women’s experiences. That discussion later became the engagement session led by the BLSA Women’s Representatives.
Throughout the review, Diya spoke with leaders of grassroots organisations working across Tower Hamlets. Their work ranged from creating safer homes to rethinking how public spaces are designed, from tackling gender-based violence at its roots to supporting survivors long after incidents are reported. The conversations were practical and grounded, shaped by lived experience rather than theory alone.
Diya also spoke directly with Yasmin, DCI of the Metropolitan Police Service, discussing approaches to improving women’s safety in public spaces and the importance of trust, visibility, and prevention. She later had an in-depth conversation with Manzila Uddin, the chair of the Women’s Commission reflecting on how local policy can better account for the experiences of young women and students.
During the session, Diya also shared examples of changes made within Queen Mary in recent years. She spoke about past improvements to campus safety and the University’s dedicated crime prevention team, and Report and Support which works to prevent incidents and support women’s safety on campus. Bringing those examples into the room helped connect local authority discussions with what prevention and protection can look like in practice within a university setting.
Continuing the conversation, on 3 February, the BLSA Women’s Representatives, Madhura and Divyani hosted an online Women’s Commission Engagement Session in collaboration with the Tower Hamlets Women’s Commission. The session created a powerful and welcoming space for women to share their lived experiences and contribute to meaningful change.
The Tower Hamlets Women’s Commission, which aims to tackle inequalities faced by women in health, safety, employment, and community leadership, used this session to listen directly to women’s voices. In partnership with Queen Mary, the discussion encouraged honest, reflective, and empowering conversations across these four key areas.
The session was highly engaging, with participants actively contributing personal insights, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting one another’s perspectives. Many women expressed that it was empowering to feel heard and validated, particularly on issues that are often overlooked in public and professional spaces. The open and collaborative format fostered a sense of solidarity and confidence, reminding attendees of the value of collective action and shared experiences.
Overall, the event was a clear success, it was informative, inclusive, and impactful. It reinforced the importance of centring women’s voices in decision making and marked an important step towards driving positive change for women across Tower Hamlets and beyond.
Looking ahead, your reps hope to continue building this relationship with the Tower Hamlets Women’s Commission and local stakeholders to ensure women’s issues remain central to decision making. This includes ongoing work around women’s safety, gender equality, and the wider structural issues that shape women’s lives, many of which directly and indirectly affect students at Queen Mary. Sustained engagement between local bodies and student leadership is essential to making sure policies reflect the realities of young women and the communities they are part of, both on campus and beyond.