Liberals commit $1.5M to help universities tackle sexual violence

TORONTO — The Liberal government is committing up to $1.5 million to help colleges and universities get better at dealing with sexual violence on campus.

Maryam Monsef, the minister for women and gender equality, said the money would be spent over two years to help post-secondary institutions tackle the problem.

“Starting post-secondary education is a really exciting time,” she told of panel of academic experts and students at Ryerson University. “... yet 41 per cent of the cases of sexual violence that are reported to police are reported from those in post-secondary institutions.”

Earlier this year, Monsef asked an advisory committee to develop national standards to hold universities and colleges to account when it comes to addressing gender-based violence. The committee, which included student and university groups, consulted with over 300 genderbased-violence-prevention educators and issued a report.

The report, titled Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions, identifies gaps in preventing gender-based violence on campuses and makes a number of recommendations.

Among a lengthy list, recommendations include increased access to support services and educational materials, providing schools with training on sexual violence, different options for reporting sexual assault and creating a long-term strategy to promote gender equity on campuses.

Monsef said the $1.5-million funding would contribute to the development of tool kits, resources, a web portal and the establishment of communities of practice.

“We know that supporting families and survivors has to be at the heart of everything we do, and we also know that promoting responsive legal justice systems has to be a critical component of moving forward,” she said.

Monsef also referenced the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements in her remarks.

“Every time one of these hashtags goes viral, the demand on services goes up and the need to have a more inclusive, more practical conversation about solution also goes up,” she said.