According to Canadian law, consent should be both positive (giving consent, initiating contact, participating enthusiastically) and continuous (being maintained throughout the sexual act).

Only 45 per cent of survey respondents said those two indicators were necessary in their partner to make sure sexual activity was consensual.

Awareness of consent has increased by 33 per cent since it was first measured in 2015, but it’s clear there’s still work to be done.

“We’re hearing about sexual violence all the time in the media,” said by press release President and Executive Director of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Paulette Senior. “Even though it seems that a growing number of people know what consent is, it’s worrying that it’s still not the case for a large part of the population. Those shortcomings are leading to aggressions, and are certainly linked to our historical tendency to blame survivors for what they’ve experienced. That’s a sign Canada desperately needs to invest in consent education, and effective violence prevention measures for all age groups.”

The survey indicates that understanding of positive and ongoing consent is higher among those 54 and under (52 per cent), and lower among those 55 and over (34 per cent).

According to Statistics Canada, approximately 4.7 million women, or 30 per cent of all women 15 and older, have experienced sexual assault outside of an intimate relationship.

The survey shows that many people are affected by sexual violence to varying degrees, not just those who have been assaulted, as 42 per cent of people in Canada know a woman who’s been sexually assaulted. (C.P./IJL)

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L’article 55% of Canadians Don’t Understand Sexual Consent est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

“Reducing the persistent and worrying inequalities between women and men is one of Laval’s priorities,” said by press release Sandra El-Helou, municipal councillor of Souvenir-Labelle and responsible for the status of women, young people and seniors. “The sectoral agreement will enable the implementation of concrete projects, in order to help reduce discrimination and inequality related to gender.”

Three Promising Projects

The first project supported by Laval is a Month of Intersectional Gender-Based Analysis (GBA+) regional feminist activities. The project, from the Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine, aims to highlight current or emerging initiatives using GBA+, in order to encourage the mobilization of groups and partners in the region, by holding one month of activities on that topic in 2023.

GBA+ means considering the influence as well as the needs that may differ, according to sex or gender identity in the adoption of municipal policies.

The second project, titled Femmes, violences et handicaps (Women, Violence and Disabilities), helps raise awareness of the paratransit emergency protocol, for women victims of violence and living with disabilities.

Finally, the third initiative, Laval mobilisée pour l’intégration et le maintien des femmes en emploi (Laval mobilized for the integration and maintenance of women in employment), is led by the organization Femmes en Emploi in collaboration with Dimension Travail.

It plans to offer workshops and activities to immigrant and racialized women, in order to support them in their job search efforts, while also raising awareness among employers about the obstacles those women are experiencing in the workplace.

About the Deal

The Entente sectorielle de développement en matière d’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes in Laval’s region for 2022–2024 links the Secretary for the Status of Women, and the City of Laval. It responds to the goals of the Government’s Strategy for Equality between Women and Men, and aims to support and mobilize regional actors in the deployment of an action plan to help counter inequalities from an intersectional perspective. (C.P./IJL)

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L’article Laval Mobilizes to Support Gender Equality est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

La Cuvée, an organization whose mission is to considerably increase the presence of women in decision-making positions, is delighted there’s a significant proportion of women candidates in the elections.

Data from the last ballot dated Oct. 1, 2018 shows an increase, since there were 40 per cent of female candidates four years ago.

“We’ve seen progress in Quebec in recent years concerning the place of women in positions of power, and this trend seems to be continuing, even increasing,” said Flavie Payette-Renouf, director and co- founder of La Cuvée. (J.B./IJL)

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L’article Provincial Elections: Record Number of Female Candidates est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.