Content warning: sexual violence
Meet Muna Tojiboeva, the new Students’ Society of McGill (SSMU) President! Hailing from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Muna is a Sociology and Honours Political Science major. She has served as chief justice on the SSMU Judicial Board for the past two years, in addition to having had leadership positions in the Sociology Students’ Association and SSMU’s Environment Committee. After a semester in which two SSMU Execs and one Arts Representative have resigned amid accusations of gendered, sexual, or psychological violence, Muna plans on addressing sexual violence as her first duty as SSMU President.
Julia Metraux for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): Why did you want to run for SSMU President?
Muna Tojiboeva (MT): I wasn’t initially planning on running. [I decided to run] following the scandals of February and March, and [after] seeing that not many people were running as President.
HC McGill: What are your plans for addressing sexual violence on campus?
MT: First, the immediate thing is to create a sexual violence policy. Two would be to organize workshops by working with Rez and other institutions on campus in order to promote discussion. Three, to move a lot of information on to the SSMU website, just so students and student groups can access it. For example, it would be a good idea to publish things like “What to do if someone discloses something to you about gendered violence or emotional violence?”
HC McGill: Is there anything you would like to say to female students who are thinking about pursuing leadership positions?
MT: It might feel intimidating at first to get involved. Once you actually get into it and doing it, it won’t seem as intimidating as it did before.
HC McGill: Now here are some silly questions. What is your spirit animal?
MT: Probably dogs. I love dogs.
HC McGill: What House would you be placed in at Hogwarts?
MT: Gryffindor.
HC McGill: If you could have three people, dead or alive, over for dinner who would they be?
MT: J.D. Salinger, President Obama, and Professor [John A.] Hall from McGill.
Images provided by interviewee.