What is Self-Definition?
You will see that for some of our elections you need to 'self-define' within a particular group in order to be able to run for that position, or vote in that election. We think self-definition is important for two reasons:
- That the people best placed to represent a particular community are those with lived experience. Effective representation isn't just about speaking 'for' others, it is about bringing real insights from someone directly affected by the barriers and issues faced by a particular community. We recognise that lived experiences are nuanced, and no single person can represent a whole community, which is why (through RepComs) our democratic structures are set up to support successful candidates to gain a wider spectrum of insights and intersectionalities to inform their representative work.
- That a person's identity shouldn't be defined by how others perceive them, but how they identify themselves. Sometimes that means that people don't recognise themselves within narrow definitions and binaries, or don't have the necessary 'proof' that others might expect or feel entitled to. We give people the freedom to self-identify within our equity groups so that they can be free to explore their whole identities without judgement, and have the opportunity to enrich our democratic structure with their perspectives.
You'll be given the opportunity to self-define when you go to vote. You can update your definitions at any time by going to this link: Election Profile
This process only exists for the purposes of the elections. We won't use this data for anything else, including any mailing lists etc.