Students Demand Action on Sexual Violence Prevention
August 30, 2023
For Immediate Release
Calgary, AB - Today’s release of the much-anticipated data from the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Alberta Post-Secondary Education report contains a number of startling revelations about the realities of sexual and gender-based violence within post-secondaries. The Council of Alberta University Students, like so many other stakeholder groups associated with this sector, are deeply concerned about what this report tells us regarding student safety.
Per the report, “Since attending their post-secondary institution half (50%) of all students have reported experiencing some form of sexual or gender-based violence.” Of this 50% who have experienced some form of sexual or gender-based violence, 14% of women have experienced sexual assault, and 11% of women have experienced intimate partner violence.
As the report notes, “Less than half (47%) of students believe there are supports available for students who have experienced sexual or gender-based violence, and of those only a small portion are accessing these services.”
There is a crisis of sexual and gender-based violence at Alberta’s post-secondaries, and from this report, it is clear that institutions alone do not have the tools to fix this emergency. With public safety as a notable priority for the current Government of Alberta, CAUS, the representatives of over 100,000 of Alberta’s students, call upon the government to increase funding for critical services such as consent training and on-campus sexual assault centres. Further, we call upon the Ministry of Advanced Education to create a working group, with student representatives at the table, to review the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Alberta Post-Secondary Education report and create policy recommendations for implementation.
Half of survey respondents experiencing sexual and gender-based violence while attending post-secondary is too many. Even one student experiencing this violence is one too many. This crisis of sexual and gender-based violence has deep-reaching harms, and it is long past time that we stand together to find solutions for our student’s safety.
CAUS stands with all survivors of sexual or gender-based violence. We didn’t need a report to affirm your experiences, but with this data now available, we are better equipped to fight for you, and to ensure your voices are heard. All students deserve safe schools, and together, we can create campus cultures that value consent and support student safety.
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The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of over 114,000 undergraduate students at Athabasca University, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, and the University of Lethbridge.
For more information please contact:
CAUS
Alexandra Ages
Executive Director