Amendment to 'Representation and an Active Campaign' zone, motion two "Representation."

Conference believes:

1. Having women's officers, elected by and accountable to women, at all and particularly at the highest levels of decision making structures is vital to women's equality in students' unions and NUS.
2. The NUS governance review, passed at Extraordinary Conference in December, and requiring ratification at Annual Conference 2008, proposes that neither the national women's officer, nor any other liberation officer, would be guaranteed a seat on the board.
3. The board would have responsibility for the development of budgets, scrutiny of senior staff, and legal and HR policies. It would have the right to veto a decision of the women's campaign on legal or financial grounds without the women's campaign having a voice on the board.
4. Women's liberation in NUS must be about more than allowing women students to run some campaigns, it means placing the equalities agenda at the heart of all decisions and activities, including allocation of resources, strategy, remuneration and appointments.
5. This proposal would represent a significant reversal in the struggle by women, and other oppressed groups, for representation and equality in NUS and the student movement.
6. Were NUS to adopt such a structure, sexist elements on campus would be emboldened in their attempts to see women's officers and other liberation officers removed from students' union executives and trustee boards.

Conference further believes:

1. At Extraordinary Conference, an amendment to guarantee the national women's officer a seat on the board was defeated.
2. Therefore the only remaining way to defend women's representation throughout NUS is to vote against the governance review.

Conference resolves:

1. To oppose the NUS governance review in order to defend women's representation at all levels of NUS.
2. To widely publicise our opposition to the governance review, including at Annual Conference.