An Inspire Solutions – Women’s/Gender Studies Collaborative Project
ithappenshere.dawsoncollege.qc.ca
According to Quebec Government statistics, one in three women and one in six men will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. While sexual assault is more openly discussed today, there is little concrete evidence that the levels of sexual assault in society have been reduced. After a series of meetings with Dawson’s Gender Advocacy Center, as well as concerned students, faculty and staff, it has become increasingly clear that sexual assault is an issue that demands our attention.
With It Happens Here, Inspire Solutions and Women’s/Gender Studies seek to engage the whole Dawson community on an issue that seems too often silenced in a unique, multi-faceted project, designed to promote awareness, provide support, and create change. We invite you to join us at any stage of the project.
AWARENESS HAPPENS HERE: Our project will be launched during Social Science Week at a talk by eminent University of Ottawa law professor, Joanne St-Lewis, who will be examining the history of laws related to rape and sexual assault, and the evolving institutional responses to the problem. Following her talk, we will unveil our website and sexual assault map,and invite the participation of all members of the college. We ask all who have been sexually assaulted to speak out by anonymously making their mark on our map and/or by sharing – anonymously if they wish – a fuller testimonial to what they have experienced through a poem, personal story, video, or visual art work. For those who have been harmed, bravelytelling their story often begins a path towards healing; for others, including those who have (knowingly or unknowingly)perpetrated a sexual assault, listening to the stories of those impacted can be a powerful experience, provoking empathy and understanding of the effects of sexual violence.
Speaking out is never easy and we are committed to creating a safe space for all. Those who participate are in control of the information or materials they choose to upload, fully informed of how they will be used, and are prompted to contact us with any concerns; all this is done with anonymity, unless those participating wish to do otherwise. Also, prior to posting anything on our website, we will ensure that all potentially identifying information, including anything that might identify alleged perpetrators, will be removed.
SUPPORTHAPPENS HERE: During Dawson’s firstever, student-run International Women’s Week (March 7-11), we will be hosting a series of workshops on sexual assault, given by the Concordia Sexual Assault Centre,as well as a talk by student leader Anne-Marie Roy, who will speak about her personal experiences with rape culture at the University of Ottawa, and her ongoing fight against sexual assault in educational institutions in Canada. By the end of the month, we will be unveiling some of the stories we have received and hosting an event in early April, featuring public readings. A permanent collection of stories will also be put together in the months that follow.
CHANGEHAPPENS HERE: Our storytelling efforts will lead intoaninitiative to engage students and staff from across the college in the quest for solutions. From needed cultural shifts to possible reforms in legal practices, to ways in which our colleges and universities can become safer places, we will invite students, faculty and staffacross the College, including the DSU, The Hive (Gender Advocacy Center), and Campus Life and Leadership - to participate in developing a Manifesto for Change. Our goal will be to publically present the results of our efforts during the Women’s/Gender Studies Certificate graduation ceremony in May.
We invite you to participate in this college-wide project.
Make your mark. Tell your story. Send us your solutions to prevent sexual assault. Incorporate this project into your classes and invite your students to share their ideas. To find out how, take a look at our website at or contact any one of us below at .
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Feb. 9 11:30-1:00 Lecture by Law Professor
(in 5B.16)Joanne St-Lewis
The launch of our project website
March 7-11 Dawson’s International Women’s Week sexual assault workshops
A Conversation with Anne-Marie Roy (on March 9)
March 22Deadline for submission of poems, personal stories, videos and visual art work
A April 22Deadline for submission of the Dawson Community’s solutions for change
TBA (April)Public Readings and Exhibits
TBA (May)Unveiling our Manifesto for Change
It Happens Here: An Inspire Solutions – Women’s/Gender Studies Collaboration
Claire Elliott (Dawson CollegeLibrary), Greta Hofmann-Nemiroff (English, Humanities, & New School, retired), Pat Romano (Humanities & Founder, Inspire Solutions Project), and Kim Simard (Cin/Com & Coordinator of the Women’s/Gender Studies Certificate)