This article is by Vinay Kapoor, Education and Engagement Officer
Three courageous undergraduates at the University of Cambridge have launched a new society – the Cambridge University Society of Women (CUSW) – to defend the free and open discussion of sex and gender on campus. Their initiative will receive support from the FSU’s Ian Mactaggart Programme, which provides grants to help students promote free speech and diversity of opinion within universities.
One of the founders, Thea Sewell, 20, was ostracised after a fellow student spotted gender-critical books in her room and spread the word. Despite being known to her peers as a survivor of sexual assault, she endured months of hostility – including having the word “TERF” carved into her door. The harassment eventually forced her to take time away from her studies, but she has since returned, determined to champion open debate.
In time, Thea connected with Serena Worle (21) and Maeve Halligan (22), who shared her concerns about what they describe as an atmosphere of “ideological saturation” at Cambridge, where students are expected to conform to a single viewpoint on sex and gender. Together, they founded the CUSW to challenge what they see as the dominant orthodoxy on campus surrounding these issues.
The society has applied for official accreditation from the Students’ Union, though so far without acknowledgment – a silence that speaks for itself. Even at Newnham College, historically a college for women, the Principal, Alison Rose, has declared that men who identify as women are part of its “beneficial class”.
Despite these obstacles, the founders remain optimistic. Serena hopes the CUSW “will shake up some of the complacent academics who we know privately agree with us but have so far been too cowardly to speak up”, adding that she hopes it will “give other students permission to speak out”.
The new society is already attracting attention, with coverage in The Telegraph and Gender Blog. The founders are inviting any female Cambridge students, including those who’ve graduated, who share their aims to connect via Instagram, X, or by email at [email protected].
Their courage sends an important message: free speech at Cambridge – and across the country – will only survive if students themselves are willing to defend it.