Edith Cowan Guild Women's Department has closed, as has the Edith Cowan Guild. The Federal Government says it believes that if there is a real need for services they will be provided by the private sector. Yet many of the services lost in WA had a real demand, they just didn't have a profit margin - and while students will advocate and support each other out of the goodness of their hearts, the corporate sector won't. Most universities have in place their own gender equity units that work to target inherent prejudices in the education community. These units work with students, many having compulsory student representation.
Discrimination can arise at any level within the higher education sector.
Student Organisations help to fight these prejudices on every level by helping to educate the community, by actively representing women, and by enabling access to support and resources. University women supported by their Student Organisations have been a vocal part of the feminist movement in the wider community. Involvement and co-ordination of campaigns on issues ranging from assessment to information on reproductive technologies and 'Reclaim the Night' help focus public attention on just some of the dangerous inequalities and situations prevalent in today's society. International Women's Day, in which Student Organisations play a major part, promotes equality worldwide and draws attention to those places in the world where women are still considered to be the lowest class. Blue Stocking Week', an annual campaign by the NUS National Women's Department, celebrates the achievement of women in education.