New data shows that 8.7% of female postgraduates suspended their studies in 2016/17, one-third higher than the rate for men (6.5%). The gender discrepancy was mirrored in withdrawal rates, which were 1.37% for men compared to 1.64% for women.

The data, obtained from the University by Cherwell, reveals a consistent gender disparity in suspension and withdrawal rates over the previous 8 years.

Suspensions are when a single student pauses their study during a given year, with one student potentially accruing multiple suspension ‘counts’, in the rare event that they do so more than once.

Withdrawals are when a student completely withdraws from their programme of study. This does not include those that have been transferred to a different programme of study.

A spokesperson for the University told Cherwell: “These numbers are relatively low so we should be careful about drawing conclusions from them without understanding the context. We offer high levels of academic and pastoral support to our graduate students through their departments, colleges and central University services.

“There are many reasons why a student’s status might be suspended, including health, maternity or paternity, personal circumstances, academic difficulties and disciplinary matters. Suspension is often a voluntary decision by a student, and in most cases students return from periods of suspension to successfully complete their course.”

A History Masters student at St Catherine’s, Hannah Grange-Sales, told Cherwell: “Women are conditioned to believe they are less intelligent than men, therefore there is both a real and imagined need to work harder to be considered men’s intellectual equals.

“Girls and women are also taught from an early age to internalise ‘unbecoming’ emotions, such as anger, frustration and hopelessness.

“Considering the historic argument against women’s right to education that they do not hold the mental rigour to undertake study, there is a double pressure to overcome this stigma and maintain a facade of capability when, for a variety of personal reasons not linked to their intellect, this may not be the case.

“The increased pressure for women to prove themselves intellectually coupled with the internalisation of emotion can surely be considered a factor in the higher rate of mental health issues amongst female students.”

The overall suspension rate for all postgraduate students has also increased year on year from 2013/14 to 2016/17 from 5.98% to 7.93%, although there was a slight decrease last year to 7.5%.

The withdrawal rate has remained consistent at about 1.5%, peaking in 2013/14 at 1.82%.

There was also a marked contrast between those on research and taught postgraduate degrees, with the former having consistently higher levels of suspension and withdrawal. In 2016/17 just under 10% of research graduates suspended their studies compared to 6% of taught graduates. This figure decreased slightly to 9% last year.

Cherwell understands that the disparity in the figures could be due to the length of postgraduate research degree, which are typically three years. Taught degrees can be as short as 9 months, meaning that there is less opportunity for students to suspend or withdraw from their studies. Just under 52% of enrolments in 2017/18 were in taught degrees.

Oxford SU VP for Graduates, Alison D’Ambrosia told Cherwell: “It is a ticking time bomb the issue of graduate student welfare. With a huge increase in graduate numbers over the past several years, we have seen minimal investment in their welfare provision and support.

“From a counselling service that is only open during term time to students been pushed from college to department to seek help, more needs to be done to properly support the graduate student body. It seems that the first call of action is for students to suspend rather than tackle the causes of suspension and offer proper support for students.”

According to the SU’s recently published counselling report, postgraduate students were proportionally less likely to seek help than undergraduates, with 10.8% of postgraduate researchers and 9.2% of taught students receiving counselling to 12.3% of undergraduates.

The report added that the lower take up of provision could be due to cultural differences. In 2016/17, 64% of graduates were non-UK students.

Students of all ages from Oxford’s primary and secondary schools will be joining a nationwide strike today in an attempt to put pressure on the government to change its policy regarding climate change.

The group cites an “alarming lack of Government leadership on climate change over previous decades” as the main reason for the strike.

Demonstrators are set to gather in Carfax from 11am on Friday morning.

Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has announced she supports the strike action and that she will be joining students in their protest.

The protestors are hoping to publicise their concerns over the need for action on climate change and to encourage others to do the same.

According to the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC), strikes have already been organized in over 50 UK towns and cities, in locations as diverse as Truro and Fort William.

UKYCC campaigner Jake Woodier explained that: “Youth voices are too often left out of the discussion when it comes to climate change … [It is] no longer a problem to be dealt with in the future.

“The reality is, we’re living through a crisis of humankind’s own doing, and it’s only going to get increasingly worse unless we take radical, rapid action to transition to a low or zerocarbon economy in the immediate future.”

Layla Moran commented: “Climate change is the biggest issue facing our planet, yet it is consistently ignored by Parliament and Government despite pressure from MPs.

“I support the students in their strike, though I feel saddened that they feel they have to do this to raise the profile of this issue and hope the schools see this in the positive light it is meant.

“They have my assurance I will continue to champion their cause.”

Moran, who is Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, also commented: “Without a doubt this strike is a pivotal moment for the students involved. We face a global crisis in climate change and I am proud to support our younger generation who have taken up such an important and principled position.

“As a former teacher I absolutely understand the frustrations that teachers and schools may have with these strikes.

“I hope schools colleges and universities see this in the positive light it is meant and equally hope those students act sensibly with making sure adults know where they are and making up the missed work.

“Time and time again we have seen the issue of climate change ignored, whether it be locally due to the ignorance of local councils who plough on with projects that will damage the environment, or the Tories’ shameful national record on climate change.”

This comes after a series of climate change strikes in other European cities, including the Hague, Brussels and Berlin. These protests were primarily made up of students, protesting against government inaction on environmental issues.

Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish student who made global headlines last summer by protesting outside the Swedish Riksdag every day, missing school on Fridays to do so, has been cited as the main inspiration for these strikes.

She has urged students all over the world to go on strike, saying: “Why should we be studying for a future that may be no more? This is more important than school, I think.”

Cherwell spoke to a secondary school student, 15, who attended a protest last week in the Hague, together with an estimated 10,000 other students. He described the atmosphere as “inspiring”, saying that he and other friends who attended are “hoping that as a result of this protest, the government will take action to improve the future for us and every other child in the Netherlands.” He added that “if [the government] don’t, we’ll be back next week!”

Although greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline in the UK since 2017, the continuation of processes such as fracking has meant that damage is still being done to the environment. Concerns have been raised about the country meeting its targets to reduce emissions by 50% by 2050, something the government pledged to do as part of the 2008 Climate Change Act.

Students all over Oxford, and indeed the rest of the world, will be hoping to remind their governments to prioritise climate change to secure their futures.

It remains to be seen how many students will turn out to strike on Friday, and how the government and local schools will respond.

St. Hilda’s College have become the first college to pass a motion to reduce its emissions to net-zero by 2040.

Rupert Stuart-Smith, a Geography student at the college, proposed the motion last Sunday in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement, which 195 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have signed as of November 2018, is due to start in the year 2020.

The motion, which passed unanimously, noted the growing threat of climate change, calling on the college to reduce all emissions to net-zero by 2040; ensure all future buildings are carbon neutral; and ensure all current and future buildings are at the highest energy efficiency standards.

The University of Oxford have already expressed their interest in environmental sustainability and tackling climate change, with events taking place throughout the year, such as Student Switch Off, and the newly launched Sustainability Skills Bank.

In 2011 the University set a target to reduce carbon emissions by 33% by the end of 2021. Stuart-Smith told Cherwell, “St Hilda’s has led Oxford’s colleges in demanding that all companies in which we invest align themselves with the Paris Climate Agreement. The College must now commit to eliminating the carbon emissions associated with its own activities by 2040, as is required by the Paris Agreement.

“Our colleges aim to give us the tools to succeed in life. They must not simultaneously compromise that success through their contribution to climate change, the greatest threat to the wellbeing of today’s students.

“The unanimous support of the JCR for this motion demonstrates the conviction of St Hilda’s students to confront the challenge of climate change. We look forward to working with the Governing Body over coming months to make this goal a reality.”

With the growing concern over climate change and what we can do to help, this motion sets an impressive precedent, one that will hopefully be adopted across more colleges in the coming months.

Speaking to Cherwell, Oxford’s head of Environmental Sustainability Harriet Waters said: “Its great to see a JCR taking such a proactive stance on carbon reduction to tackle climate change. Good luck to St Hilda’s on their carbon reduction journey.”

After decades of inactivity, the Oxford Majlis Society has re-established its presence at the university, launching the Majlis Magazine and electing a new committee.

Despite a legacy of informed debate, the South Asian debating society fell into inactivity in recent decades, and efforts are now being realised.

The Majlis was originally founded in 1896 as a debating society to campaign for Indian independence in the UK. The society was set up with a structure modelled on the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Majlis.

Srishti Arora, a member of the steering committee, told Cherwell: “Majlis is important to ensure that Oxford’s historic connection with South Asia is never forgotten, for the students to have a safe space to debate issues in South Asia and to promote unity between South Asian students.” Majlis played a role in the Indian independence movement and was investigated by the Home Office and Foreign Office for its associations with independence leaders such as Liaquat Ali Khan, one of the founding fathers of Pakistan. The society can also be seen to have influenced South Asian politics post-independence, with Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Indira Gandhi, India’s first female Prime Minister, both members of the society. Rabii Malik, a second year studying PPE at St. Anne’s and the president of the Pakistan Society told Cherwell: “The revival of Majlis is a much-needed initiative empowering South Asians at Oxford and offering us a unique way.

Majlis played a role in the Indian independence movement and was investigated by the Home Office and Foreign Office for its associations with independence leaders such as Liaquat Ali Khan, one of the founding fathers of Pakistan.

The society can also be seen to have influenced South Asian politics post-independence, with Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Indira Gandhi, India’s first female Prime Minister, both members of the society.

Rabii Malik, a second year studying PPE at St. Anne’s and the president of the Pakistan Society told Cherwell: “The revival of Majlis is a much-needed initiative empowering South Asians at Oxford and offering us a unique way to stay in touch with our heritage.”

The Majlis steering committee have launched a magazine, a series of debates and an active fundraising campaign in order to raise their profile.

An active committee member, Musty Kamal, told Cherwell: “The reason I was so eager to restart the society is because it is so important.

“With divisive rhetoric becoming commonplace in South Asia it is important that students at Oxford, who will be instrumental in shaping the region, build on our common values and common vision.”

Musty Kamal has re-launched the Majilis Magazine this term.

Shahnur Chauhan, the elected secretary, told Cherwell: “Majlis represents a time when students from similar backgrounds discussed issues that mattered in an attempt to make a difference.

“The platform is required because the problems may have changed but they certainly do exist.”