Be informed.

Learn more about sexual and gender-based violence to be part of the solution.

Know the language

For the full list of definitions, please read the complete University of Calgary Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy.

Consent

Consent is a voluntary agreement to something that is free from coercion. It can be revoked at any time, no matter what other activities have taken place. Consent is not silence or the absence of ‘no’.

Sexual assault

Sexual assault is any unwanted act of a sexual nature imposed on another person without their consent.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwanted or demeaning remarks, behaviours or communications of a sexual nature or based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Even if there was no intent to cause harm, the harmful impact defines sexual harassment.

Sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation when someone misuses power or trust, or takes advantage of a vulnerable person, for actual or attempted sexual purposes.

Domestic/Family violence

Domestic or family violence refers to a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship characterized by trust or intimacy that is used by one party to gain or maintain power and control over another.

Stealthing

Stealthing is a form of sexual violence. It is the non-consensual removal of a condom during sex.

Stalking

Stalking refers to a pattern of behaviour that is directed to an individual that causes emotional distress and/or fear for the person’s safety or safety of others. Behaviours may include, but are not limited to, unwanted contact via social media, phone calls, texts, showing up or approaching an individual or their family/friends, monitoring, surveillance, and threats.

Non-consensual image sharing

Non-consensual photo sharing is when private or intimate images or videos of someone are shared, shown, or posted without the consent of the person in the images.

Sexual violence is prevalent

According to the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services and Statistics Canada, an estimated 1.8 million Albertans (45 per cent of the population) have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Two in three women and one in three men have experienced some form of sexual violence in Alberta.

With these high rates of sexual violence, it is critical to raise awareness to build an increasingly safe environment where our community can flourish.

Women are disproportionately affected

Though sexual and gender-based violence can impact all genders, 87 per cent of survivors are women. In Alberta, women are more likely than men to report unwanted sexual behaviours in public, online, and in the workplace.

Discrimination creates vulnerability

Deeply rooted and systemic oppression such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, colonialism and ableism lead certain groups to be especially vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence.

In Canada, women of all ages including Indigenous, those living with disabilities, and those living in rural and remote regions, are at greater risk to experience this violence, along with LGBTQ2S+ individuals.

Most victims/survivors know the person that caused them harm

In cases where a charge of sexual violence is laid by the police, 87 per cent of victims know their assailant, and they are most commonly a casual acquaintance, family member or intimate partner.

Contrary to popular belief, most cases of sexual violence do not occur in dark, dangerous places, but rather in private spaces such as homes or residences.

A majority of Canadian post-secondary students will witness or experience sexual violence

In 2019, 71 per cent of students at Canadian post-secondary institutions witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a postsecondary setting in 2019—either on campus, or in an off-campus situation that involved students or other people associated with the school.

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Be informed.

What is sexual violence?

What is gender-based violence?