Lincoln university students unite to #ChangeTheStory for women on campus

If the White Ribbon Day activities organised by the University of Lincoln’s Students’ Union are used to measure the commitment to the group’s motto, then there is no doubt that these young people are both engaged to and empowered by the causes they support.

The Students’ Union motto — building a community of engaged and empowered students — is stringently followed by student leaders like Zuzanna Romanska, the Vice President of Wellbeing & Community at Lincoln Students’ Union, who took on her role to “advocate for student safety and [to] raise awareness about gender-based violence.”

Adopting the White Ribbon Day 2023 call to action to #ChangeTheStory for women, students held fundraisers to build awareness about the importance of culture change in addressing street violence, a key issue for the Lincoln Students’ Union.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Zuzanna Romanska. I currently serve as the VP of Wellbeing & Community at Lincoln Students’ Union. I am writing this on behalf of our sports and societies members that came together to fundraise for White Ribbon UK for White Ribbon Day 2023 to #ChangeTheStory for women and girls.

How did you first hear about White Ribbon UK?

I first heard about White Ribbon UK at the University of Lincoln while completing my MA degree in Gender Studies. Students at the University of Lincoln have a strong history of championing women’s safety, from advocating for increased street lighting, to attending the annual Reclaim the Night march to fundraising for Love, Grace, an initiative started by the family of Grace Millane, who studied at the University of Lincoln before she was murdered.

Why do you fundraise for White Ribbon UK?

Our teams and societies wanted to foster welcoming and safe environments for their communities, and to emphasise their firm stance against any form of violence against women and girls.

In the week leading up to White Ribbon Day, 25th November, 14 sport teams and societies from Lincoln Students’ Union organised a range of events to support and raise funds for White Ribbon UK. From sport tournaments, open mic nights, bake sales, bracelet DIY sessions and quizzes, we raised an amazing £1,259. More importantly though, we showed a real commitment to ending gender-based violence and to building more inclusive and safe communities for Lincoln students.

The Netball team, one of the biggest sport teams at Lincoln, organised the Women In Sport tournament fundraiser, motivating other female teams to come together in the early hours of Tuesday morning to raise money for White Ribbon UK. The Book Club found a perfect way to fundraise while also modelling a safe and inclusive environments at night . “We achieved more than just raising over £150: we created a safe and supportive late-night environment where students could read, study, and discuss issues related to gender equality and safety in educational institutions.”

What’s the most important message you want to get across to people?

I believe that the most important message we want to send to our students is that they are not alone. Every year our students advocate for their own safety and are vocal about the fact that if they are not cis straight men, they do not feel safe. While the local authorities tend to look the other way, our students are tirelessly pointing at the issues within our city, such as poor street lighting or harmful attitudes towards students who report violence, and continue their work to create a safer community for themselves and their peers.

During our annual Reclaim the Night march on 21st November, nearly 600 attendees marched and chanted through the city. With placards held high and their voices echoing through the town’s streets, our students will never give up on changing the story for all women and girls affected by gender-based violence.

If you’d like to start your fundraising journey today, whether in the memory of someone or because you want to stop violence before it starts, find out more here.