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This year Sexualized Violence Awareness Week will focus on believing survivors. We’ve got new swag, a support workshop, an information fair, and a keynote speaker!

Supporting Survivors Information Fair

Tuesday, September 27th 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM in front of Petch Fountain (library)

Join us in survivor-centered coloring activities (PDF), button-making, discussions about centering and believing survivors, and creating a “messages to survivors” tree. Various on- and off-campus organizations will be present to talk about how they support individuals who have been impacted by sexualized violence, we’ll have cookies and hot chocolate, and a spoken-word performance by Zoé Duhaime

Keynote event: We Begin By Listening – Farrah Khan

Wednesday, September 28th 6:30 PM, Farquhar auditorium

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Join in the discussion on how we can come together as a community to work towards preventing sexualized violence on campus and beyond. This event features Farrah Khan, who picked up the mic to talk about sexual violence at the age of 16 and hasn’t put it down since. She is a nationally recognized counsellor, educator and artist with over 16 years of experience addressing gender-based violence. Farrah is the Sexual Violence Support and Education Coordinator at Ryerson University, co-chair of the Ontario Roundtable on Violence Against Women and has been appointed to the Government of Canada’s Federal Strategy Against Gender-based Violence Advisory Council. She has co-created innovative community-centered initiatives including #UsetheRightWords and #WeBelieveSurvivors and has conducted trainings across North America. She regularly contributes to national media including the CBC and the Globe and Mail for her expertise in addressing violence against women. For her community work, Farrah is the recipient of numerous awards including the Canadian Women’s Foundation Award.

We’ll also have spoken word by Jeremy Loveday and Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate Ann-Bernice Thomas

Tickets are free for all students with student ID including high school students from the UVic ticket center. Non-students can get tickets in advance for $10 or $15 at the door. If cost is a barrier pls contact AVP as we have some free tickets available.

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Download the poster (PDF) [icon icon=”external-link”]

We Begin By Listening: Keynote presentation by Farrah Khan and performances by Ann-Bernice Thomas and Jeremy Loveday

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Accessibility

We’re working on being better at our accessibility practices. We don’t have everything right and we’re excited to get better.

  • The Farquhar auditorium is inside the University Centre building. There is a map at http://www.uvic.ca/auditorium/home/maps-directions
  • The University Centre building and the Farquhar auditorium are wheelchair-accessible, including washrooms and the ticket counter. There are designated disability parking spaces in front of the University Centre and in underground parking underneath the University Centre with elevator access.
  • A gender-inclusive and accessible single-stall washroom is available on the second floor and can be accessed via elevator.
  • There are seating areas at the back, and middle of the main floor set aside for people who need space for mobility devices. For a map see
    http://www.uvic.ca/auditorium/assets/docs/UCFA%20Seating%20Main%20Aug28.pdf
  • If you need a care aid or other individual to accompany you, you do not need to buy a ticket for them (i.e., their admission to the event is free).
  • Participants can enter or leave the auditorium at any time during the event. Auditorium staff can assist with getting in or out of the auditorium if assistance is needed. Note that once the event starts, overhead lighting is dimmed and there are dim lights on the ramps and stairs.
  • We anticipate real-time captioning will be broadcast during the event, but the specific details are not yet confirmed. Let us know if you need an update.
  • There are two group bathrooms on the main floor of the University Centre, each with a wheelchair accessible stall, and a single-user wheelchair-accessible all-genders bathroom on the 2nd floor, accessible by elevator or stairs.
  • The Farquhar auditorium has a scent-free policy but this is not enforced. If you need to change where you are sitting to avoid scented products, please let auditorium staff know and they will make another seat available to you.
  • There are grassy areas outside the University Centre where service dogs can be taken for a break.
  • There may be potential plug-in at the front (stair access only) for anyone who needs to plug in a laptop or other assistive device – please contact the Anti-Violence Project so we can discuss your A/V needs with auditorium staff.
  • Bus access: The #4, #7, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #26, #39, and #51 buses stop approximately one block from the University Centre. Bus tickets are available from the Anti-Violence Project upon request. For more information on getting to UVic by bus, see http://www.uvic.ca/home/about/campus-info/maps/maps/busroutes.php
  • Bike access: There are bike racks located outside the University Centre and under the University Center in the Campus Bike Center – the entrance is on the ground floor and is located on the west side of the University Center.
  • ASL and other interpretation is not available for this event and there is no child care available. If having interpretation or child care subsidy available at future events would make the event more accessible for you, or there are other measures we could take to improve accessibility, please let us know so we can try to arrange this for future events.
  • Parking: is available in many lots with most being $2.50 from 6 pm until midnight. You will need coins or a credit card to pay and more info is here: https://www.uvic.ca/security/parking/

Sexualized Violence Awareness Information Table

Monday and Tuesday, September 12 and 13th 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM in front of Petch Fountain (library)

Come visit us and ask questions, get swag, learn about Volunteer Training, take the pledge with Let’s Get Consensual, learn about us and the work we do, get more information on how to believe survivors and/or what sexualized violence is, sign up for our listerv. We’re excited to meet you!

Consent Workshop

Thursday, September 15th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, location to be confirmed upon registration

The AVP consent workshop is intended to provide folks with the education, skills, and opportunity to understand and practice consent in a supportive and sex positive space. Some of the topics that folks can expect to engage in will include: consent (what it is, why it’s required, how to practice it), gender-based violence, power, and privilege. Through activities and discussions the workshop offers a chance for us to talk about all the ways we can provide safe, fun, and sexy ways to build relationships with the people we care about.

Our consent workshops are two hours long and are held at the University of Victoria. These workshops are free of charge, open to students and community members, and have a no late-comer policy. Find out more about the Consent Workshop.

Support workshop

Friday, September 16th PM 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, location to be confirmed upon registration

The AVP support workshop provides some foundations for supporting survivors of sexualized violence. Throughout the workshop we will discuss different approaches and tools that can be used when supporting someone. Some topics include: active listening, believing survivors, caring for yourself, and making referrals. There will also be time to practice supporting folks through (optional) roleplays.

This workshop is two hours long, and will be held at the University of Victoria. We recommend that folks interested in this workshop first attend our consent workshop, as many of the ideas in this workshop build on ideas we explored in the consent workshop. These workshops are free of charge, open to students and community members, and have a no late-comer policy.Find out more about the Support Workshop.

Bringing in the Bystander: Taking action to prevent sexual violence

Tuesday, September 20th 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM, MacLaurin room D105

Bringing in the Bystander is a free intervention training workshop designed to empower and equip students with the skills and awareness to recognize and safely intervene in situations that contribute or lead to sexualized violence. Participants will receive co-curricular recognition on their transcripts, a certificate for workshop completion, and a chance to win a $250 tuition credit. For more information or to register for a training session, visit uvic.ca/bystander