With each new school year, there are a lot of new faces and many first-year students on campus. Sexual Assault Awareness Week presents an opportunity for these new students to learn about an important and current issue at the University of Saskatchewan.

In lieu of the sexual assault that took place on Sept. 15 at a campus residence, Sexual Assault Awareness Week, which will run from Sept. 26-30, is particularly relevant for students.

According to Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan, one in 17 Canadian women will be a victim of rape at some point in their lives. SASS also reports that 80 per cent of assaults happen in the victim’s home and 70 per cent of rapes are committed by a perpetrator, such as a friend, neighbour or relative, who knows the victim.

With these statistics in mind, Ashley Clouthier, U of S Students’ Union Women’s Centre co-ordinator, stresses the importance of SAAW for first-year students.

“Many of these new students are unaware of the services and supports available to them. It’s a scary thought, but some of these students might need to know these things at some point this year, and if it happens, we want to make sure they’ll know they aren’t alone and that we will support them in whatever way we can,” Clouthier said.

The week will feature numerous events that students can attend, all of which will be advertised on posters around campus. These events include two Bystander Intervention Training sessions, organized in partnership with the Sexual Assault and Information Centre, and a session with the Medicine Shoppe on options for students after a sexual assault occurs, such as emergency contraceptives, HIV prevention and counselling services.

Clouthier shares about more events that will be offered during SAAW.

“We’ll be holding a panel discussion on rape culture, where prominent members of the community will discuss the attitudes that normalize sexual assault and what we can do to challenge them,” Clouthier said. “On Thursday evening, we’ll be hosting Take Back the Mic, which is a poetry night featuring local spoken word artists and is centered on survivors sharing their individual stories.”

SAAW will also consist of the Women’s Centre’s third annual Concert for Consent, an event for students age 19 and over that will feature local musicians and promote and celebrate consent culture.

Clouthier sheds some light on the purpose of the upcoming events.

“The theme is basically: we’re all part of the solution. What we’re hoping people will take away from it is: that in order to make positive changes in our society to reduce the number of sexual assault incidents that happen each year, we need all hands on deck.”

Clouthier reminds students that the USSU Safewalk program is a useful resource for those who need to stay late on campus. Safewalk is a free service that runs from Sunday to Thursday from 8:30-11:30 p.m. and offers students the opportunity to have someone escort them to their vehicle. Outside of those hours, Protective Services provides walking escorts who must undergo a criminal record check and participate in a day-long training session.

According to Clouthier, it is very important for each student to know that they have the right to give as well as receive consent. She emphasizes that everyone, not only victims, should see sexual assault as a serious problem.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to work towards building a society that is free from violence and sexual aggression.”

—

Lewis Scott

Graphic: Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor