Newly-Elected Student Representative on the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board
In July 2021, Galyna Sukhomud (M.Sc. European Urban Studies, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, fifth semester) was elected as one of two Student Representatives to the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar's Equal Opportunity Advisory Board. Since October 2021, she has been serving as a contact person for students from all faculties on the topic of gender equality at our university. In this position, she also acts as a spokesperson for students, bringing their suggestions and criticism to the Equal Opportunities Advisory Board. We are pleased to introduce Galyna Sukhomud with a short interview below.
How did you learn about the position of Student Representative on the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board and why did you decide to apply for the position?
I have been interested in feminist perspectives in urban planning and urban development for a while. Last year, I researched feminist ethics of care and co-housing in Vienna. My involvement in the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board comes to me as part of my long-term awareness of multiple inequalities women face and the need to act upon them.
What are your hopes and goals for your term as Student Representative on the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board?
As part of the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board, I hope to focus on the intersectional feminist perspective and reflect on inequalities and discriminations women face based on the multiplicity of their identities. For instance, I noticed that the voices of migrant or non-middle-class women are often underrepresented in student bodies and German academia. However, since the official Equal Opportunity Plan of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar does not reflect on multiple categories of oppression, these categories are difficult to evaluate. Being an international student myself, I would like to engage more students like myself in the activities of Equal Opportunity Office and help them feel safe to voice their concerns.