Meet Muna Tojiboeva, a sushi-loving U2 Sociology student who is super involved on campus! Read on for her tips on getting involved, staying on top of things, and get the inside scoop on some of her positions on campus!
Fanta Kamara for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): Hello Muna! Thank you for doing this interview with Her Campus! From what I know, you’re very involved on campus! Can you tell us a little more about that?
Muna Tojiboeva (MT): Thank you for interviewing me! Of course! ! So essentially, this year I got the chance to be the Chair of McGill Students for UN Women National Committee Canada (UN Women NCC), which is a mouthful. [Laughs] I’m also the President of the Sociology Students Association, the Chief Justice of the Judicial Board (J-Board) of SSMU, and I also get to work part-time as a legal assistant at a criminal law firm.
HC McGill: Wow! That is so exciting! Can you tell us more about being the Chair of UN Women NCC?
MT: I am really grateful for the chance to be this year’s Chair of UN Women NCC because as a club, we raise awareness for gender equality and women’s issues, and basically, you just get to meet people who have the same interests as you while also raising awareness about a very important cause through conferences, workshops, and networking events.
HC McGill: Yeah, and I know you had your International Women’s Day event yesterday, so could you tell us more about that and what people who weren’t able to attend?
MT: Yesterday’s event was a panel entitled “Planet 50/50 by 2030: Gender Equality Around the World.” We had two McGill professors speak; the first speaker was Professor Kazue Takamura, who spoke about the feminization of labor in the Philippines, and the second speaker was Philip Oxhorn, who spoke on gender issues in Latin America. We also had a recruiter from McKinsey, who did a workshop on gender biases in the business world, and she talked about all of the biases that women face, the perceptions that negatively affect women in business, and the economic repercussions of the biases that people tend to have against women. What I found interesting was that the biases were not only coming from men, but from other women as well.
HC McGill: Yes, definitely. I feel like I’ve heard that being said a lot. What do you think about these gender biases coming from women themselves or from other women who you would expect to support you?
MT: Well, I feel like we are all socialized to perceive things in certain ways. It was surprising to me that women might have biases against other women, but it kind of makes a lot of sense if you think about it in retrospect since it is a society-wide phenomenon.
HC McGill: That’s very true. Would you also like to tell us more about your role as Chief Justice on the Judicial Board or is that confidential information?
MT: The cases – well, the actions – are confidential, but being Chief Justice is really a rewarding experience for me since I would like to pursue law after I graduate from McGill, and this role gives you an idea about the complexities of the judicial system since you are dealing with the SSMU Constitution, by-laws, etc.
HC McGill: As a Chief Justice do you approve of what type of referendums are allowed to run, or do you look at the constitutionality in terms of the SSMU Constitution or McGill Charter?
MT: We review things if someone petitions us (the Judicial Board). We don’t normally review things unless someone has an issue with a certain action and its constitutionality.
HC McGill: That’s very interesting. I didn’t know that all that was going on on campus! Since you’re so involved on campus, do you have any advice for staying on top of things?
MT: Um, I have a really bad memory, [Laughs] so essentially, I just write everything down in my agenda. Otherwise, I’ll simply forget about it and not show up to a meeting or an appointment.
HC McGill: I completely understand. I have one too and it’s color-coded because I need this. What have you found most challenging in holding a leadership position and trying to run a club? Do you have any advice for anyone else who’s trying to run a club?
MT: Just actually being prepared for meetings and to be ready to set the agenda. Because you have to guide people, in a way, you have to know what you’re doing, or at least look like you know what you’re doing. Another challenging aspect is not to micromanage people. I feel like a leader has to listen to what people have to say instead of just giving out orders.
HC McGill: Now on to some fun stuff. Do you have any cool hobbies that you’d like to share?
MT: … I love eating. [Laughs]
HC McGill: [Laughs] Eating is a hobby.
MT: [Laughs] All you can eat sushi is a passion of mine. [Laughs]
HC McGill: [Laughs] I can relate. I’m not so big on sushi, but I have a passion for poutine. So I guess just to wrap it all up, do you have any advice for McGill students looking to get more involved on campus, like you are?
MT: I would say, just go for it! I got involved because I wanted to find people who were interested in the same things I was interested in, while also contributing in a meaningful way to campus life. So just don’t be shy to get involved, even in your first year. Getting involved on campus really makes your university experience so much more rewarding.
Images obtained from the interviewee.