Courage to Act is a federally funded initiative to address and prevent gender-based violence on Canadian campuses. It builds on key recommendations within Possibility Seeds’ landmark Courage to Act Report. With a network of experts, Courage to Act develops tools, resources, and strategies as the first national collaborative of its kind.
gENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IS FAR TOO COMMON in Canada
41%
of all reported incidents of sexual assault were reported by students.
1 in 10
women experienced sexual assault in a postsecondary setting.
4/5
undergraduate students reported experiencing dating violence.
71%
of students either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a postsecondary setting.
47%
of post-secondary students witnessed or experienced discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year.
2m
Canadians aged 15 years and older (8% of women and 5% of men) reported being stalked in the preceding five years.
19%
of women aged 15-64 reported they experienced at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months.
13%
of men aged 15-64 reported they experienced at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months.
2x
women with disabilities are twice as likely as women without disabilities to have been sexually assaulted.
+ References
- 41% of all reported incidents of sexual assault were reported by students (Statistics Canada, 2017)
- 19% of women aged 15-65 reported they experienced at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the last 12 months (Statistics Canada, 2018a)
- 13% of men aged 15-65 reported they experience at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months. (Statistics Canada, 2018a)
- 4 out of 5 undergraduate students surveyed at Canadian universities reported experiencing dating violence (DeKeseredy, 2011)
- 2x women with disabilities are twice as likely as women without disabilities to have been sexually assaulted (DisAbled Women’s Network, 2019)
- 2M Canadians aged 15 years and older (8% of women and 5% of men) reported being stalked in the preceding five years. (Statistics Canada, 2018b)
- 71% of students at Canadian postsecondary schools either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a postsecondary setting. (Burczycka, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, 2020, p. 3)
- 1 in 10 women experienced a sexual assault in a postsecondary setting during the previous year. (Burczycka, 2020, p. 3)
- 47% of students at Canadian post-secondary institutions witnessed or experienced discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year. (Burczycka, 2020, p. 4)
get to know the project
NATIONAL SKILLSHARE SERIES
Join us for free virtual workshops and webinars led by subject matter experts! The National Skillshare Series is open to all individuals and institutions ready to end gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions in Canada.
KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
Access our national repository of free practical tools and toolkits to address campus gender-based violence. These groundbreaking resources were created by Courage to Act’s national network of student leaders, survivors, frontline workers, legal experts, union leaders, and post-secondary educators, staff and administrators.
RESEARCH-TO-ACTION
We’re developing two new evidence-based tools on sexual harassment in experiential learning as well as a community risk assessment on gender-based violence for post-secondary institutions.
Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to contribute to this vital research!
INNOVATION HUB
Read and share cutting-edge articles and thought pieces from Courage to Act’s network of experts and advocates working to address and prevent campus gender-based violence. Want to write for us? Get in touch!
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
We built ten communities of practice to facilitate skill-sharing, knowledge-building and resource creation with over 170 of Canada’s top gender-based violence experts and advocates.
featured insights
READ THE REPORT
The Courage to Act report is a call to action: we need a holistic framework that sustainably addresses policy, procedures, and gender-based violence prevention. This report outlines promising practices, key policy areas and prevention plans that are at the foundation of a framework to address and prevent gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions in Canada.