Much has been written about the exclusionary culture of the sciences (sometimes lumped together as STEM -science, technology, engineering and math) to women and to marginalized groups such as BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community and people with disabilities. There is ample data from around the globe (e.g. UNESCO, OECD) that demonstrates a disproportionate over-representation of men in STEM disciplines and medicine, particularly at the higher levels, in leadership positions and positions of power.

Inspired by Dr. Imogen Coe’s webinar, Courage to Act has created the first ABC model to assist PSIs in addressing and preventing GBV in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in Canada.

Working together, this change is possible. Together, we can take courageous action to ensure our STEM programs in Canada are inclusive and accessible spaces for all genders to learn, work and thrive.

We invite all PSIs to participate in the #ConsentIsNotCancelled campaign this Fall to inspire conversations about consent, gender-based violence and bystander intervention, especially in a time of social distancing. Here are 5 easy ways to implement this national campaign!

Courage to Act: Developing a National draft Framework to Address and Prevent Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada was released one year ago. Informed by experienced survivors, student researchers, frontline workers and policy experts, it provided a blueprint for a national Framework to address gender-based violence (GBV) on campus. This two-part series expands on these key recommendations, offering a closer look at the incredible work happening at PSIs across the country to address and prevent GBV on campus.

REES is a centralized reporting hub available 24/7 that provides information about campus sexual violence policies, direct reporting options, campus and community resources, health care options, and self-care. REES is customized to the specific institution and community where it is located.

Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, and grounded in a long tradition of Black feminist activism, intersectionality is both a mode of critical analysis and practice that recognizes the inseparability of systems of oppression. As such, it must inform not only how we understand the issue of sexual violence on campus, but also how we take action to address and prevent violence. When these commitments to intersectionality fall short of translating into practice, our anti-violence efforts can become sites of harm and marginalization.

Noting that there are 230+ Calls for Justice prescribed in the Final Report of the National Inquiry, and that post-secondary institutions have an important role in actualizing justice for MMIWG, Courtney Skye excerpted the most applicable Calls for Justice as they relate to college and university campuses. In this free worksheet, you will find a list of these Calls for Justice for PSIs with guiding questions to support you and your PSI in exploring these further.

Courage to Act has built ten robust communities of practice for post-secondary administration staff, faculty and students as well as community advocates who are working to address and prevent gender-based violence on campus.

#ConsentIsNotCancelled began as a mini-campaign under the Simon Fraser University’s Active Bystander Network social media to contextualize the biannual Consent Matters campaign at Simon Fraser University. The campaign is an invitation to reflect on how consent ought to be prioritized as an ongoing practice in our daily lives, including when engaging in sexual activity. Courage to Act hopes that the #ConsentIsNotCancelled campaign can be used by other institutions this fall to inspire conversations about consent, gender-based violence and bystander intervention, especially in a time of social distancing.

As gender justice advocates, many if not all of you are in the midst of moving all or most of your programming and initiatives into the online world. This transition won’t be easy or seamless and we know that you are adaptable, creative, and innovative and, ultimately, you know what’s best for your campus's unique population of students, staff, and faculty. To help support you in this work, we are sharing some of the great tips and tools we’ve been drawing upon in our work.

Despite the fact that many PSIs have developed and implemented educational programs and support services to respond to GBV in university communities, this approach tends to miss a vulnerable population on campuses: those Students from International Pathways (SIPs).

As post-secondary institutions (PSIs) look towards a school year where “campus” itself will likely be extended into online spaces, it’s important to consider how gender-based violence will manifest differently, and how prevention efforts will need to adapt. It is important to build relationships with community-based gender-based violence (GBV) organizations i.e. sexual assault centres, violence against women shelters, Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit groups and LGBTQIS2 organizations. Our shared goal of ending gender-based violence requires collaboration between community organizations and PSIs. Here are six ways that gender-based violence organizations and PSIs can work well together:

It is easy to assume that our work on campuses to address and prevent gender-based violence will lessen as students return home to self-isolate, however, the reality is that home is not always a safe place for everyone. We saw this tragically unfold in Nova Scotia where a mass murder of 22 people began with acts of intimate partner violence. Courage to Act is deeply concerned about the ways in which many students, staff and faculty face increased risks of gender-based violence under the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Deep breath. Covid-19 has shifted work for so many of us and our team wants to be of support. Possibility Seeds is currently leading Courage to Act, a national two-year project to address and prevent gender-based violence on post-secondary institutions built and led by our communities. In this spirit of collaboration, we have created the following resource for people working in post-secondary institutions about meeting the emerging needs of campus community members affected by gender-based violence. It is not an exhaustive list but a start of ideas, hopes and questions, not definitive answers.

Possibility Seeds Consulting launched its Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions report today at Ryerson University. The report was developed through funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada, and identifies recommendations, promising practices, and gaps in preventing and addressing gender-based violence on post-secondary campuses in Canada.