Student football association GSAVV Forward is losing its committee grant. One of the reasons for the decision is that the association allegedly actively excludes women. The association can still appeal the decision.
This came forward during last Thursday’s university council meeting with the board of directors. The council unanimously adopted the advisory report submitted by CUOS, the organisation advising the board about allocation of grants.
In their report, CUOS advised taking away the twenty months’ worth of committee grants football club Forward still has a right to. Not just because CUOS determined they excluded women, but also because they supposedly haven’t organised enough activities.
Correction
‘I’d like to correct something that was said during last week’s committee meeting’, student-assessor Adnan El Kharbotly said on Thursday. ‘During the meeting, we said that the exclusion of women was included in the club’s bylaw, but that wasn’t true.’
El Kharbothly did say it was included in the documents that Forward had sent CUOS. He also said that CUOS hadn’t contacted Forward to discuss the issue further, while it had contacted a different association that was in danger of losing its grant.
According to student party SOG, CUOS made a ‘thorough assessment’, SOG faction member Onno de Wal said during the council meeting. ‘SOG is generally positive about the report.’ He did have a few remarks concerning the football club’s grant.
Appeal
‘I talked to its president on the phone and he was disappointed about the way the discussion in the council was going’, said De Wal. ‘I don’t know what the documents they sent to CUOS said, obviously, but he claimed the club does not have a policy that excludes women.’ De Wal also remarked on the lack of activities: ‘According to Forward’s president, CUOS failed to count the many social activities the club had organised.’
While the party ultimately agreed to the report, De Wal would understand if Forward doesn’t take the decision lying down. ‘If a mistake was made here, I would advise them to appeal the CUOS decision. That will likely show who’s in the right.’