Human Rights & Equity OfficeUpcoming Events: Let's Take Action Together!
This fall, we’ve got some important opportunities to get involved, learn, and make a difference. Mark your calendars and stay tuned—more information to come in the weeks ahead!
Consent Week at Queen's University
At Queen's University, Consent Week (typically 3rd week of September) is a pivotal time for our community to unite, take a stand against sexual violence, and champion the creation of a consent culture on our campus. The first six weeks of the academic year, known as the Red Zone, see a significant increase in sexual violence incidents on campuses. This period calls for heightened awareness, proactive support, and a collective effort to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.
Consent Week is more than a series of events—it's a call to action. Sexual and gender-based violence is intertwined with other forms of oppression and discrimination, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. The fight against sexual violence must also address these interconnected systems of power and inequality. By working together, we can create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and safe.
Join us in this critical movement to dismantle the structures that perpetuate violence and discrimination. Together, we can foster a campus culture rooted in consent, respect, and solidarity.
#QueensConsentCulture
#WeBelieveYou
#ConsentWeek
Additional Information and Statistics
Thank you for your support and participation in Consent Week at Queen's University. Together, we can make a difference and create a safer, more respectful community for all.
An initiative created by the Ontario University Sexual Violence Network to promote dialogue about consent and increase awareness of sexual violence and available resources.
An international event and grassroots movement aimed at ending sexual violence in all forms. It is a community-led initiative that includes marches, rallies, and vigils to support survivors and demand safety.
The City of Kingston City Council will bring forward a motion in early September to recognize the third week of September as Consent Week. Recognized by many post-secondary institutions and municipalities across Ontario, the timing of Consent Week highlights the significant increase in sexual violence during the first weeks of school. Consent is an agreement to do something where all people involved have consciously agreed without threat or coercion. It also involves establishing boundaries, expressing them freely, respecting others' boundaries, and accepting rejection gracefully. As Queen’s University hosts events, an awareness campaign, and training workshops, the City of Kingston acknowledges and appreciates these efforts, encouraging all Kingston residents to foster a culture of consent during Consent Week.
- Sexual assault in Canada rose from 27,909 police-reported incidents in 2018 to 34,242 in 2021, the highest rate since 1996 (Ontario Rape Crisis, Statistics Canada).
- Only 6% of all sexual assaults experienced by older youth and adults were reported to the police (Ontario Rape Crisis).
- Vulnerable groups such as women, gender-diverse, bisexual students, and Indigenous people face higher rates of sexual violence (Ontario Rape Crisis, Statistics Canada).
- Over 11 million Canadians have experienced physical or sexual assault since the age of 15, with 71% of violent incidents, including sexual assault, not reported to the police (Statistics Canada).
- In 2022, 184 women and girls were violently killed, primarily by men; one woman or girl is killed every 48 hours (Canadian Women's Foundation).
- Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than non-Indigenous women (Canadian Women's Foundation).
- Women with disabilities experience a rate of sexual assault almost four times higher than women without disabilities (Canadian Women's Foundation).
- LGBTQ+ individuals face significantly higher rates of sexual violence, with bisexual women experiencing sexual assault at a rate nearly 29 times higher than heterosexual women (Canadian Women's Foundation).
