Feminist legal scholar to give free talk on sexual violence
Constance Backhouse at New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation on Thursday
Legal scholar and historian Constance Backhouse is giving a free talk in Sydney on Thursday about sexual violence.
“It does seem to be a topic that is top of mind for everyone. By that I include sexual harassment, sexual assault, all of the different ways that coercion and aggression is taken out sexual,” said Backhouse, who is been a part of the feminist movement in Canada for 40 years. The event, which is being put on by the Ally Centre of Cape Breton and the Cape Breton Inter-Agency on Family Violence, aims to open up the discussion about sexual violence.
“I don’t have all the answers. If I had all the answers then we would have won this battle in the 1970s,” she said during a phone interview from her Ottawa home.
“I think the more people who weigh in on this and make suggestions the better our chances of coming to a solution.”
Christine Porter, executive
director of the Ally Centre, said they got the idea to bring Backhouse to Sydney
after they spoke to local sex workers. During the sessions, they heard many stories of sex workers experiencing violence but not reporting it.
“There are more barriers for sex workers than there are for others,” said Porter.
While sex workers are at a higher risk of being victims of sexual violence, Backhouse said all women are at risk and few report the crime to police.
“If every woman who has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual violence spoke out and reported it, it would have to stop,” said Backhouse, who is co-founder of the Feminist History Society and author of seven books. She is also a member of the Order of Canada.