Almost three hundred female members of Amsterdam's largest and oldest student association ASV/AVSV feel unsafe after sexist comments by male students on Sunday, Dutch media reported.
Four prominent male members of the association gave speeches at a 'men's dinner'. The men and women of ASV/AVSV each had their own halls to celebrate, however, the women walked out due to screams from the men's area.
A letter seen by Dutch media was signed by 273 female members of the association, detailing how they felt unsafe after the male-only dinner made statements that were "downright insulting, sad and shameful."
At the dinner, women were described as 'nothing more than whores' and 'sperm buckets' by the men of the Amsterdam student association. Another male student said they should "break women's necks so they could put their dick in it."
The female members then wrote in their letter that they were shocked by these words. 'We hear men think: it's just a joke', said the female members. "We think the joke is over."
It is already the second incident that recently has discredited the ASV/AVSV. After problematic events tied to initiation rituals last year, the student association announced it would implement a series of measures to change the culture of club.
Previously, freshmen were injured after physical assaults which included punches, kicks and blows to the face. "This has nothing to do with getting acquainted," the board decided at the time.
No real change
Yet the women's letter points out that the culture change hasn't been implemented properly, despite the focus on the topic last year after "many dialogue sessions took place in which sexual harassment, 'macho culture' and a lack of general respect were central."
Their letter continues: "Displaying cultural change for a year, and then using these kinds of terms ourselves and that it is still applauded? What the hell are we doing?"
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In addition, the letter stresses that one of the male speakers has called the culture change "a facade." Further to this, several of the male speakers have key positions in the student association.
As punishment, the board grants for the association for that year were withdrawn by the University of Amsterdam, the Free University and the Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
Chairperson Heleen Vos is aware of the incidents on Sunday. "I find the misogynistic, discriminatory words of the speakers and others in the room as shocking and hurtful as everyone else," she wrote.
Vos said that the student association's Senate had launched an internal investigation into all the speakers, which could "lead to sanctions, including suspension or termination of membership."
