The leadership team at the Society of Graduate Students is outraged to hear of the multiple reports of gender based and sexual violence alleged on Western’s campus during Orientation Week. We are additionally distraught at the tragic loss of Gabriel Neil, a first year Kinesiology student, who was brutally attacked near campus and subsequently died of his injuries. SOGS is here to support all of its constituent members, as well as advocate in solidarity with concerns relating to our undergraduate colleagues.
The safety of Western University students on campus requires urgent and collective action. Despite an attempt to host a dry and safe Orientation Week, Western ultimately failed in upholding this mandate and in its protection of its students.
University campuses continue to steep in an ongoing and rampant culture of gender based violence and sexual assault. Statistics Canada states that 41% of all sexual assault reports in Canada are submitted by post-secondary students. Furthermore, Western demonstrates an alarmingly high prevalence rate, with a 2018 Council of Ontario Universities report noting that over 70% of Western students have reported some form of sexual harassment.
Addressing gender-based and sexual violence, including sexual assault, is of utmost urgency and importance. Sexual assault, according to the Criminal Code of Canada (Section 271) “occurs if a person is touched in any way that interferes with their sexual integrity: this includes kissing, touching, intercourse and any other sexual activity without [their] consent.” Furthermore, the non-consensual administration of drugs, including date rape drugs, is legally classified as assault causing bodily harm by administering noxious things.
Any and all types of sexual assault must be recognized as traumatic and harmful actions which not only significantly impact the individual(s) involved, but also the community at large. We have a collective responsibility to each other.
CALLS TO ACTION
- We call upon Western University to begin immediate preparation and implementation of cohesive and mandatory gender-based and sexual violence (GBSV) education training modules, including trauma informed approaches, for all students, staff, and faculty. We demand that all materials related to this module be legally accurate and accessible public information, reviewed with a diverse range of stakeholders, including and especially survivors. Furthermore, we demand that the enrolment of all new students, both undergraduate and graduate, in courses at the university be contingent upon the successful completion of these mandatory modules.
- We call upon Western University to continue to clarify the internal processes related to gender-based and sexual violence reporting. The current process is unclear and it is difficult to find information on the steps taken, especially for incoming students.
- We call upon student, faculty, and staff associations and organizations across campus to hold Western University, and each other, accountable to providing a safe campus for all members of our community. Violent assaults, of any kind, have no place here and it is up to each of us to ensure that this is quickly and efficiently addressed. To show this support and community care, we ask any and all concerned individuals to sign the petition outlining our call to action.
- We call upon the campus community to stand in solidarity with and support the survivors of gender-based and sexual violence on campus by joining us at the UWO Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Walk-Out at University College Hill on Friday, September 17, 2021 at 12pm EST. Wear a mask. Wear teal, the colour of survivors of sexual assault.
- We urge students who have recently experienced gender-based or sexual violence to formally report their experiences. Reporting these violent and traumatic experiences will help our community better understand the culture of sexual violence that has baked itself into Western University traditions, like O-Week, underscoring the danger of the continuation of these misogynist traditions. We call upon Western University and the University Students’ Council to abolish or completely restructure O-Week immediately.
We encourage and support survivors and community members to report incidents through a dedicated gender-based violence survivor support case manager on campus at 519-661-3568 or support@uwo.ca. View Reporting and Counselling options HERE. Off Campus Law Enforcement and Emergency Services The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Western Gazette The University Students’ Council (USC) In solidarity, kirstyn seanor, SOGS President; Danica Facca, SOGS VP Academic; Yousuf Hasan, SOGS VP Advocacy; Becky Horst, SOGS VP Finance; Effie Sapuridis, SOGS VP Student Services; Elizabeth Mohler, SOGS Accessibility Commissioner; Ana Moyer, SOGS Gender Concerns Commissioner; E. Victoria Bomberry, SOGS Indigenous Commissioner; Shannon “Thomas” Carnahan, SOGS Pride Commissioner; Denise Kamyuka, SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner; Mo Sharifi, former SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner, Deeplina Banerjee, SOGS International Graduate Student Issues Committee member; Laura Munoz-Baena, Gradcast Committee member; Heidi Kellett, SOGS Communications and Promotions Manager; Nick DeSumma, SOGS Governance & Policy Administrator; Jessica Elaine Reilly, SOGS Membership Services Manager; Raquel Rodrigues, SOGS Finance Manager; Marc Lalonde, Grad Club Manager Read the PDF version HERE.REPORTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS
ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS