YWCA Canada recognizes the third week of October as Week Without Violence to envision and advocate for a violence-free world. Building on a multi-year partnership with the YWCA in Regina, Saskatchewan Polytechnic will again offer gender-based and intimate-partner violence awareness events at all four campuses starting October 18 in Prince Albert. The events will travel to Saskatoon, (October 19), Regina (October 24) and Moose Jaw (October 25).
Locker Room Talk, a large display that mimics a locker room atmosphere, will be available from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on each campus’s event day for the students, faculty and staff to view and walk through. This experiential exhibit presents quotes and myths about sexual violence in a visual way that invites participation in conversations about culture and violence. “We want to help de-stigmatize this topic,” says Lori Spanier, manager for Campus Safety and Security for Regina campus, “especially on higher-education campuses, where Statistics Canada tells us sexual violence is a growing problem. Locker Room Talk is a fantastic way to get everyone talking because it’s big, and it’s going to be right there where everyone can see it and experience it.”
A second opportunity on each campus’s event day, the Upstander Education Program will again be delivered in 90-minute workshop sessions from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Introduced at Sask Polytech in 2022, this training focuses on becoming active bystanders, or upstanders, in situations where sexual violence is suspected or observed. Cecilia Rands, YWCA Upstander Education coordinator explains, “We want to help change the victim-blaming mentality. These awareness-raising sessions give participants the tools to help promote a healthy, balanced and welcoming environment for all and advocate being an active participant by speaking and up and acting to support others being bullied, attacked or judged.” Students are encouraged to register for upstander training at their local campus.
Over the past year, Sask Polytech has been taking a multi-pronged approach to create a culture of awareness around sexual violence in a combined effort by Student Relations and Campus Safety and Security. A poster campaign encourages members of the campus community to think critically about what constitutes sexual violence and calls out all related behaviours—whether online, in-person, overt or more hidden—as #neverokay. Coordinating small stickers, found in intimate spaces such as by water fountains or in washrooms, act as an unobtrusive reminder to the campus community of the supports available to those who experience or witness sexual violence.
These campaign-style efforts and resources support Sask Polytech’s policies and procedures on violence and sexual harassment. “In the end,” says Kendra Strong-Garcia, director of Student Experience and Learning Services, “our collective goal is to make progress in reducing sexual and gender-based violence, be it within the campus or the broader community. Establishing policies serves as an initial step. Actively educating our campus community about sexual violence and equipping them with the means to safeguard one another demonstrates our commitment to putting these policies into practice.”
Read more about the Upstander Training – YWCA Regina – Supporting Women & Families since 1910.