We brought together a group of women who are involved in the university labour movement and who often feel isolated. JASS and LRS recognised this reality and created a space for the women to come together and value themselves. Given that they are often marginalised and seen as the least important in their workplaces, it was crucial to affirm their value and give them a space to think, connect, reflect and strategise.

During the first meeting, many of the women openly shared their experiences of different forms of violence they had experienced. They were able to release their emotions and express themselves freely in the unique space created by JASS and LRS. One powerful reflection that emerged was in relation to their identity. For example, some said: “I am not just a cleaner. I clean where I work, but that doesn’t define who I am.” This self-awareness was significant. It left the women not only with a new sense of self-worth, but also equipped with valuable tools provided during the four-day programme.

The importance of acknowledging and addressing personal experiences before delving into political issues was recognised throughout the process. It was a transformative journey and the fact that we were able to run the programme on two separate occasions over a number of days was remarkable. Both JASS and LRS invested in supporting the newly insourced staff who, prior to the programme, were struggling to understand insourcing and the intricate details of the labour relations that applied to them.

In universities, some people know more, others less. However, as a result of the space we created, there was a sense of solidarity among these workers. They now have a stronger collective voice, even though they belonged to different institutions and were not necessarily connected before.

We have been fortunate to be able to continue to involve these women in our other movement spaces and initiatives. However, maintaining the momentum remains a challenge. As we are all stretched thin, we have been careful not to create unrealistic expectations of constant support. However, as checking in and offering support is a core aspect of feminist values, we keep in touch with the women – to find out how they’re doing, how they’re organising, and how we can contribute. Equally, we hope that our comrades will reciprocate by taking an interest in our work and finding ways to collaborate, thus fostering mutual learning in the various processes in which we are involved.