Why have I never heard of the WoCo?

Hello beloved Gala readers! My name is Lexi Chipperfield and I am your WUSA (Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association) Women’s Representative for 2026.

If you’re new to the University of Wollongong, it’s likely you don’t know what the Women’s Collective (WoCo) is. If you’ve been here a while… chances are you still don’t know what the WoCo is (or that we have one).

I have had the privilege of being the Women’s Representative for WUSA since 2025 and have used my role to support the community wherever I can. But despite my many attempts at hosting events and revitalising the Collective, I’ve been less than successful… with little to no turnout and a room that feels more like a ghost town than a Women’s Space. But it’s not like feminism is dead at UOW! 2025 was a big year for projects out of the WUSA Women’s Office. 

The Free Period Products program began with five locations that supplied menstrual products (mostly in the women’s bathrooms):

• The UniBar
• Building 67 (1st floor, near Hemmingway)
• Building 43 (ground floor)
• Building 11 (2nd floor, in the Student Alliance Network where all the collective’s rooms and the WUSA offices are!)
• Building 29 (in the ground floor kitchenette). 

We are more than keen to keep adding new locations to this list, improve accessibility and ensure we are keeping up with demands for refills as the program enters its second year!

Furthermore, during semester two of 2025, WUSA launched the Save SARC (Safe and Respectful Communities) campaign in response to UOW management’s plan to significantly change the way the SARC team operates (including cutting staff and limiting how much support the team could provide). The SARC team is an amazingly skilled group (of some of the most delightful folks I’ve had the pleasure of meeting) that provide training and preventative education to the UOW community, as well as support services for individuals who have or are currently experiencing sexual violence, harrasment, domestic & family violence, bullying or discrimination. Through contacting numerous newspapers, radio stations, MP’s, activists, and hosting a rally on campus, WUSA managed to fight back against this change (Woohoo!). 

Towards the end of last year, WUSA council members were invited to speak on this campaign, other instances of corruption, and complaints regarding UOW’s management at NSW Parliament through the NSW Senate Inquiry into the NSW university sector. Myself, as the Women’s Representative, Caitlin Viegel as the 2025 General Secretary, and Hanzel-Jude Pador as the 2025 President appeared as witnesses to discuss our experiences with (often against) UOW management. The senate was incredibly responsive to our testimonies and seemed to express dissatisfaction with the actions of UOW management. And by that I mean they grilled the shit out of the numerous executives (including the Vice-Chancellor Max Lu) that spoke after us. 

Unfortunately, UOW has still made some shameful changes after a few rounds of plans and feedback sessions (obviously not listening to said feedback). It is unclear what the totality of these are, but currently there is a reduction in the proposed staff loss (though there really should be a staff increase, let alone no staff lost). However, we have been able to achieve retention of the current model (semi-external to the nuisance that is UOW management), so the SARC team can still provide their essential, life-saving support and services to the UOW student body.

Despite the accomplishments of 2025, the WoCo is still… well, dead. What should be a space for community building and feminist organisation is collecting dust and having its posters fall off the walls (regardless of how many times I fix the blu-tac). There’s not really one single thing that killed it, it was just a combination of lack of upkeep from previous Women’s Representatives, transition of members out of university, and like most things, Covid-19 certainly had its part to play. Since the Women’s Space moved from building 19 (easily accessible to students and passed by often) to building 11 (tucked out of the way, so much so that most people don’t know it exists) in 2024, there has been significantly less students using the space… which is such a shame! The Women’s Space is a safe space for studying, relaxing, and community-building with resources like free snacks, period products, sexual health kits and a comfy corner with a shitload of pillows, blankets, plushies and beanbags. It’s a ready and waiting vessel for (hopefully) the revitalisation of the Women’s Collective. 

My goal for this year is to help rebuild this collective and make it a space for community connection, growth and action! But, I can’t do it alone. If any of what I’ve written piques your interest, I would encourage you to keep an eye on WoCo events and to come visit the Women’s Space. It is open to anyone who identifies as a woman, non-binary folk and people with uteruses. You can do this by following the WoCo Instagram @uowwoco and navigating your way through the confusing layout of our campus to find Building 11-214 (accessed through the lift near the UniShop).

If you have any questions, suggestions, or are just keen to get involved, don’t be afraid to let me know via the WoCo email: woco-uow@uowmail.edu.au

In solidarity,

Lexi

PS. the SARC team can be contacted via 02 4221 3344, uow-sarc@uow.edu.au and can be found at Building 19-G100. <3

PPS. if you are interested in watching the UOW executives squirm, you can find the hearing recording on YouTube by searching “NSW Senate University of Wollongong” <33