Consent Awareness Week
September 15-19, 2025
71% of students at Canadian post-secondary schools witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a post-secondary setting in 2019 (Statistics Canada, 2020).
A National Movement
In 2022, in response to calls from High School Too, Possibility Seeds launched Canada’s first Consent Awareness Week (CAW) in collaboration with communities across the country. Held every year during the third week of September, CAW is a national campaign for dialogue, education, and action around consent!
This year, Consent Awareness Week takes place from September 15 to 19, 2025. As a national organization working to end gender-based violence in post-secondary education, the Courage to Act Foundation is proud to join and amplify CAW as part of our ongoing efforts to create educational spaces free from harm.
Why it Matters
Consent Awareness Week takes place during the “Red Zone,” the first six weeks of the academic year, a period when students face increased risks of sexual violence on campuses.
Research shows that women and gender-diverse students are subjected to high rates of sexual violence and harassment, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiential learning (Jorghi, 2022). Unequal power dynamics, historically male-dominated environments, and cultures of institutional silence compound these risks.
That’s why we’re joining CAW to call for and build a better culture of consent in STEM and beyond, ensuring students can learn, work, and thrive in environments grounded in dignity, equity, and respect.
How to Get Involved
We’re calling on campuses, communities, workplaces, and organizations across the country to join us in taking action during Consent Awareness Week!
Download our Digital Advocacy Toolkit, filled with graphics and pre-written copy for you to share on social media and drive awareness, helping others learn about CAW.
Use hashtags #ConsentAwarenessWeek and #CAW2025 to join the conversation.
Read our guide, Put Consent on the Map: Proclaim Consent Awareness Week in Your Region, which includes step-by-step instructions on how to send a proclamation, as well as links and resources for engaging different levels of government.
Read our blogs for education and community resources, as well as action items tailored to those working within post-secondary institutions.
Follow us on Instagram to see how the community is participating in CAW 2025!
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