Ellie Rushforth
Se7en Magazine is a new student-run women’s publication, created to represent women across the University of Edinburgh and beyond. Over 60% of the student population of Edinburgh University identify as women, and there seemed to lack a dedicated magazine to represent this population. While there are a plethora of incredible feminist driven societies, blogs and organisations at Edinburgh, we wanted to create a platform which would represent these communities and their ideas through the medium of print publishing, as well as creating a space for them to come together and highlight their work. Se7en was created by myself and Ciara Watson, two final year students in the school of SPS, in order to bridge this gap and create something new and empowering. We have been assisted by an amazing team of editors, as well as countless contributors from different parts of the University, to create a vibrant debut issue that can be accessed through our website: www.se7enedinburgh.org
Our aim is to highlight various aspects of women’s experiences across all areas of the University, and to foster an inclusive and diverse atmosphere to share opinions, ideas and creativity. The magazine focuses on presenting a wide array of viewpoints and stories, presented in various mediums. Our first issue features a diverse range of work created by and for women, including articles, interviews, poems, photography and illustration, and covering such diverse topics as inclusive skateboarding collectives, profiles of feminist groups in Edinburgh, and reflections on relationships in lockdown. Each page features a new voice, all coming together to share stories and present unique perspectives. This combination of voices is extremely exciting, and something we hope to continue as Se7en continues to develop and grow.
Someone recently described Se7en as a lifeforce, and this is a view that I hope many people will come to share as they become aware of the magazine. It is a lifeforce that brings people together, one that stands for diversity and empowerment, and one that advances interdisciplinary feminist discourses in an accessible manner.
The name Se7en comes from the Edinburgh Seven, who were the first group of matriculated female undergraduate students at a University in Britain. This pioneering group of women campaigned and fought for the right of women to a university education. While these 7 medical students began studying at Edinburgh in 1869, they were not officially recognised as graduates and posthumously presented with their degrees until 2019. Se7en Magazine has been named after these pioneers of women’s education to honour their legacy of women students at the University of Edinburgh. We hope to contribute to this legacy, reflecting the path women students have forged at the University, as Se7en Magazine develops a legacy of its own, and becomes a focal point for the development and reflection of the incredible diversity of ideas and voices that deserve to be highlighted in this community.
Bio: Ellie Rushford is a final year Sociology and Politics student with a strong interest in Women’s rights and Gender studies. She started SE7EN magazine in 2020 during lockdown in order to establish a new platform to represent women’s voices across the University of Edinburgh.
