Together for Change: Anti-Sexual and Gender Based Violence Week of Action
Building a better, safer, inclusive community together
Introduction
Everyone deserves to feel safe on campus.
The violence that our students had to navigate this September was unacceptable, and we will not tolerate a campus culture that promotes or enables any form of sexual and gender-based violence.
Advocacy is more powerful when we come together as a community to create change, and we want you to be part of the conversation. The voices of students, survivors, and the individuals most impacted by sexual and gender-based violence deserve to be heard. We want you to get involved, get informed, and join the student-led movement to demand better from Western University and our government.
We know you want change, and so do we. Join the USC from October 19-22 for a week of action to reflect, engage and discuss ways to combat sexual and gender-based violence both at Western and in our broader community.
ASGBV Week of Action Schedule
Together for Change: Anti-Sexual and Gender Based Violence Week of Action
Tuesday, October 19
Wake Up Western – Rally
12:30-2:30 p.m., Concrete Beach (Starlight Stage, under the tent)
Kick off for the Week of Action with student speakers and performances reflecting on the impact of SGBV on our campus.
Crisis Counselling
5 -9 p.m., Virtual appointments available
This free, confidential service is offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Students can email studentcrisisappointment@cmhamiddlesex.ca to schedule a same-day appointment. Registration closes at 8 p.m. To sign up you must be: an Ontario resident; a Western student; able to connect via the internet or telephone.
Wednesday, October 20
Student Support Booths
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
Including CMHA, Anova, Peer Support, PurpleCare and more
Snapshots in Solidarity
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
To aid our advocacy and social media campaign, you can also take pictures with messages to government and university stakeholders. Why are you taking a stand against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence? Why is a safe campus important to you? Why do you care about your campus community?
Peace by Piece Speak Series, March + Sit-In
3:30-5:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
Eternity Martis, award-winning Toronto-based Journalist and Author of They Said This Would Be Fun and Farrah Khan, Consent Culture Educator and Activist, shed light on ways we can identify and combat SGBV on campus; followed by a march to show solidarity and bring hope for a better future. Those who are unable to march are welcome to join the sit-in at Renaissance Square, which will feature live performances, sign making, and more.
Crisis Counselling
5 -9 p.m., Virtual appointments available
This free, confidential service is offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Students can email studentcrisisappointment@cmhamiddlesex.ca to schedule a same-day appointment. Registration closes at 8 p.m. To sign up you must be: an Ontario resident; a Western student; able to connect via the internet or telephone.
Thursday, October 21
Student Support Booths
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
Including USC Health Promotions, Food Support Services, Peer Support Center, Accessibility Services, Ethnocultural Support Services, Gender Equality Network, Indigenous Relations, PrideWestern and more.
Public Arts Commission Collaboration
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
The purpose of the installation is to promote introspection/self-reflection. A lot of us don’t know what healthy love is and one of the hardest things to do is recognize your boundaries, know how to communicate them, and learn how to respect other people’s boundaries. We’re going to be focusing on defining boundaries as an individual and supporting boundaries as a community.
Crisis Counselling
5 -9 p.m., Virtual appointments available
This free, confidential service is offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Students can email studentcrisisappointment@cmhamiddlesex.ca to schedule a same-day appointment. Registration closes at 8 p.m. To sign up you must be: an Ontario resident; a Western student; able to connect via the internet or telephone.
Friday, October 22
Student Support Booths
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Renaissance Square (next to Weldon entrance)
Including Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Treatment Program, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, and more.
Sex positivity, consent, and safe sex workshops
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Mustang Lounge, University Community Centre (UCC)
More info coming soon!
Sexy Sexual Health Trivia – Consent & Party Culture Edition with samantha bitty
12:20 – 2 p.m., Mustang Lounge, University Community Centre (UCC)
Join samantha bitty for an interactive, pleasure-centred game and discussion on consent and safer sex. Students roll the dice to move along a game board revealing trivia questions that invite conversations about having more empowered, wanted, and safer sex when you or your friends are partying or choosing to be intoxicated.
Crisis Counselling
5 -9 p.m., Virtual appointments available
This free, confidential service is offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Students can email studentcrisisappointment@cmhamiddlesex.ca to schedule a same-day appointment. Registration closes at 8 p.m. To sign up you must be: an Ontario resident; a Western student; able to connect via the internet or telephone.
How To Get Involved
Letter Writing: The USC wants you to be involved in our advocacy to Western and the government regarding Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Join us during the week of action by writing a letter to express your concerns, as well as recommendations on how we can make our campus community safer.
Social Media Campaign: We know that social media is another unique channel for advocacy and we want to utilize this. Therefore, you can take part in our social media campaign by sharing a 5-10 second video message to a university or government stakeholder about what change you would like to see on campus. Tag @westernusc and use the hashtag #USCTogetherForChange
Petition: The USC has been hard at work collecting your feedback to develop recommendations for our university and provincial government. To show your support and endorse these recommendations, you can sign onto our petition during the week of action!
Terms
Consent | Consent is a voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity, which must be given actively and willingly. Consent is never assumed or implied; it is not silence (or the absence of “no”); cannot be given while impaired by drugs or alcohol; cannot be obtained through threats, or by abusing a position of trust, power, or authority. Consent can be revoked at any time. Ontario Women’s Directorate: Developing a Response to Sexual Violence: A Resource Guide for Ontario’s Colleges and Universities, (Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2013), 4. |
Sexual/Gender-Based Violence | Any practice or behaviour that establishes, exploits, and reinforces gendered power inequalities resulting in physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or mental harm. Gendered violence includes sexism, gender discrimination, gender harassment, biphobia, transphobia, homophobia and heterosexism, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and intimate partner violence. Jay Harrison and Ginette Lafreniere, University Campuses Ending Gendered Violence Final Report & Recommendations, Wilfred Laurier University, (Waterloo, The Change Project, 2015). |
Rape Culture | The pervasiveness and normalization of rape and sexual/gender-based violence due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. Rebecca Flintoft et al., Violence Goes to College: The Authoritative Guide to Prevention and Intervention, Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd., 134. |
Survivor | Any person who has experienced gender-based violence in any form. It’s important to respect that survivor is a personal term and that there are many other terms a person who has experienced gender-based violence may choose to identify with. Antonio Brieva, et al., Policy Paper: Sexual Violence Prevention and Response . (Toronto: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, 2016) |
Survivor-Centric | When the rights, needs, and wishes of the survivor are prioritized in gender-based violence prevention programming. Survivor-centric approaches aim to create environments where survivors are treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination, given comprehensive information, empowered to make their own decisions, and have their privacy and confidentiality maintained. |
Harm Reduction | Harm reduction is a system of strategies aimed at reducing the harm experienced by individuals while considering the social context in which that harm may exist; it can be used to empower students with information and tools that allow them to address inarguable wider cultural and campus conditions of patriarchy, oppression, and sexualized violence on an individual intervention basis. |
Contact
Email: antisexualviolence@westernusc.ca
Feedback Form: https://westernusc.forms-db.com/view.php?id=396242