Consent Awareness Week (September 18-22, 2023)
Did you know that less than half of people in Canada fully understand what it means to give consent? Responding to calls from High School Too last year, Possibility Seeds’ Courage to Act project established a national Consent Awareness Week with community partners across the country, running annually during the third week of September!
We chose September because the first 6 weeks of school are designated the Red Zone, when there is a significant increase in sexual violence at post-secondary schools. But Consent Awareness Week goes beyond campuses, inviting everyone to have thoughtful, affirming, intersectional and age-appropriate conversations about consent as a cornerstone of all relationships, not just intimate ones.
Hear what student leaders had to say about how to create consent culture on campus and beyond at last year’s national panel moderated by Aubrianna Snow (AB) with Aryanna Chartrand (BC), Isabel Ojeda (NL), Maya Labrosse (QC), and Daysha Loppie (ON):
5 things you can do to for consent awareness week:
Share resources: So many organizations, individuals and education institutions have made amazing resources about consent. Let’s share them! We’ve got a great list to get you started in our shareables folder below to read and share, grouped by age and audience! Possibility Seeds will also be releasing two very exciting resources for supporting survivors during CAW, so be sure you follow us on socials to stay tuned!
Host an Event: We learned so much from our panel at We Build Consent last year and look forward to seeing what folks have planned for 2023! Tuesday September 19th is #WeBelieveYouDay, which is a great opportunity to host an event. This is a day to share support for survivors, strengthen allyship skills, and build cultures of care. #WeBelieveYouDay is built on the groundbreaking work of the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services, Survivor Love Letter Project and the Ontario University Sexual Violence Network.
Further your learning: Consent is foundational for liberatory relations, and no matter how consent-conscious we are, there is always more to learn about how to foster consent in all areas of our lives and all types of relationships. Take some time this week to read, reflect, and expand your own understanding!
Request a proclamation: We want to see Consent Awareness Week declared in as many provinces, territories, and municipalities as possible, as well as nationally! And we need your help! We’ve laid out an easy how-to guide with examples here of how to advocate.
Spread Awareness. As Aryanna Chartrand put it at We Build Consent last year: “Consent conversations can be uncomfortable, but it's a practice. And the earlier we start practicing it, the less stigma there is around it, the less weirdness. It becomes the norm.” Consent is an important life skill at any age, and getting the discussion going with folks of all generations is the most important thing you can do to support Consent Awareness Week and empower others in their learning. Help spread the word!