By Sana Agarwal
On 6 November, Hands Off LSE and the Athletics Union (AU) hosted the first ‘Locker Room Talks’ with the aim of instigating discussion around sexual violence and harassment culture in LSE sports clubs.
The event was hosted by Charlotte Lewis and Georgie Andrews; several prominent AU committee members, including Women’s Officer Tito Molokwu, spoke on the panel.
Concerns raised in the first women’s forum hosted this year were discussed. These included catcalling on campus, Carol security and spiking at LSE events.
Terms like ‘lad culture’ and the need to adhere to the standards of their peers were highlighted as some of the reasons for this problematic behaviour, especially within male-dominated sports societies. LSESU Rugby captain Ben Cox admitted, “Contact sports breed the culture of toxic masculinity but there had been a shift in that past year.”
This was also discussed in relation to the digital spaces involved in being in an AU society.
The success of Consent Ed was praised by all speakers. AU president Adriana Beattie expressed that it has “expanded people’s knowledge and given them a space to go to.” Additional support from captains of sports societies has also helped the push of Consent Ed.
Further precautions, such as mandatory Consent Ed sessions before Carol for all societies, have been established. LSESU Men’s Cricket has also extended this for attendance at Wednesday socials.
The panel also discussed some of the positive changes enacted by the LSESU, such as the introduction of drink covers and weekly reports from the Sway AU night that are overseen and evaluated by the AU President.
AU committee members reiterated their zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault cases and discussed the need to distinguish their personal relationships from executive duties. As a response to this, Beattie has promised to work on a standardised process for tackling cases of sexual misconduct and reporting within the AU.
“LSE is committed to a working and learning environment where people can achieve their full potential free of all types of harassment and violence. We take any reports of sexual misconduct or violence extremely seriously and any member of the LSE community who has experienced or witnessed incidents of this kind is strongly encouraged to get in touch with a trained Safe Contact for information and support or report the incident online or in person. Anyone affected by sexual violence can also access free, confidential, independent support and counselling. Further information and support can be found on our dedicated Making a choice web pages.
“LSE has worked with the LSE Students’ Union to develop a Consent.Ed educational programme designed to explore issues around consent and create a positive respectful culture where everyone feels safe on campus. Taking part in this programme is expected for all members of the LSE community and a requirement for anyone in a leadership position on a SU committee, society or club as well as for those wishing to attend some of the biggest Students’ Union events throughout the year.”
Photograph by Iraz Akkus
