Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Take part in these activities
March 30, 2023
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and this year’s theme is Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity. This month is an opportunity to raise awareness about sexual violence and its impact on survivors, families, and communities. It also aims to educate about sexual assault prevention, advocate for survivors, and promote healing and recovery for those affected by sexual violence.
Georgian is hosting various activities throughout April for students and employees to learn more about sexual assault, build a sense of allyship and create safe and inclusive communities where survivors feel supported and valued.
By attending these events it sends a message that sexual violence will not be tolerated and that we all play a role in preventing it. Together, we can create a world where everyone can live free from fear of sexual assault.
List of activities by campus
Barrie
- April 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Rock the Silence | GCSA Lounge (first floor C Building)
- April 6, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Clothesline activity | Second floor C building
- April 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | What would you do if the world was free of sexual violence? | K Building first floor, outside the library
- April 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Bagels and Boundaries | K Building first floor, outside the library
- April 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | It’s time to talk about… | K Building first floor, outside the library
Orillia
- April 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Rock the Silence
- April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Clothesline activity
- April 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Bagels and Boundaries
- April 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | It’s time to talk about…
All Orillia activities are hosted in the Welcome Centre.
Owen Sound
- April 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Clothesline activity | Library hallway
- April 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | What would you do if the world was free of sexual violence? | Library hallway
Orangeville
- April 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Rock the Silence | Room 126
- April 12, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | What would you do if the world was free of sexual violence? | Room 126
Muskoka
- April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | What would you do if the world was free of sexual violence? | Student Lounge
- April 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | It’s time to talk about… | Student Lounge
South Georgian Bay
April 13, noon to 1 p.m. | Clothesline activity | Lobby
What to expect at each activity
Rock painting – students and employees are encouraged to come paint rocks with positive messages that will later be displayed around our campuses for the month of April to build awareness about SAAM and show support for survivors and their stories.
Clothesline activity – this activity was created to honour women who used to connect with each other about domestic violence experiences while hanging laundry outside together. This activity has also been done with various “risky” clothes (i.e., tank top, mini skirt) to start conversations around victim blaming and how people dress. Students will write messages of advocacy and commitment to change to build a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus community.
Bagels and Boundaries – this activity is an opportunity to talk about the importance of boundaries in our lives, strategies on how to prevent personal boundaries being crossed, and recognizing intimate relationships where boundaries could be taken advantage of.
“If there was a world free of sexual violence, what would you do?” – this activity will be on a large plotter paper and students will write their answers on sticky notes. Some examples seen in media are “I’d travel alone,” “I would run at night with my headphones in,” or “I would no longer be afraid to take the bus at night.” This is a great visual representation of small privileges not all community members experience.
“It’s time to talk about…” – this is an initiative to call out behaviours and violence that creates an unsafe community environment. This will be an easy activity for students to write down their thoughts and post it around our table to start important conversations.
Get involved in other ways
- Follow along on Georgian’s social media channels to get engaged with posts about Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Join local events or activities for sexual assault awareness in your community
- Learn more about the history of SAAM, and what you can do to support survivors and help prevent sexual violence