Sexual Violence Prevention Grants Support

**** CNS Media Release

Sexual Violence Prevention Grants Support
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Students deserve to live and learn in an environment free from sexual violence. That is why projects are advancing to shape safer and more supportive post-secondary campuses.

Seven projects will move ahead with about $400,000 from the Provincial Sexual Violence Prevention Grant.

“Building a consent culture will take sustained effort by all of us,” said Labour and Advanced Education Minister Labi Kousoulis. “We are committed to continuing our work with our partners to help prevent sexual violence on post-secondary campuses and to support survivors.”

The projects will:
— support a student liaison position at each university campus and a satellite position for the NSCC
— support a sexual violence prevention co-ordinator position focused on engaging with institutions, students, government and community organizations
— build understanding of culture and perspectives to help inform the development of culturally sensitive sexual violence policies
— build institutional capacity to respond appropriately to incidents of sexual violence
— create evaluation techniques to monitor culture change on post-secondary campuses
— support a Nova Scotia Bystander Intervention Education Program (Waves of Change), which will provide prevention education about sexual violence
–support a provincial conference that will provide students from post-secondary institutions with the opportunity to learn about and discuss sexual violence prevention efforts

Quotes:
“Our post-secondary institutions greatly appreciate the support of the province in our collaborative work to prevent and better respond to sexual violence on our campuses. In our first year of funding, we have worked with students to identify initial priorities around education, awareness, and training, most notably a provincial rollout of the new, Nova Scotia Bystander Intervention program, Waves of Change.”
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ – Paula Barry, associate vice-president student experience, Mount Saint Vincent University and co-chair, Provincial Sexual Violence Prevention Committee

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “The Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative’s student liaison role will make a huge impact on university communities by helping to raise awareness about support services available, and by educating community members on the importance of consent culture, what that will look like, and how we will get there. I am strongly committed to promoting healthy relationships, healthy communication, and healthy sexual activity. So I am incredibly proud that our universities have decided to implement this position, and I am looking forward to showing the members of the MSVU community ways in which we can all be healthy and safe.”
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ – Katie Allen, Mount Saint Vincent University student liaison

Quick Facts:
— under the 2019-24 memorandum of understanding with universities, there is $470,000 per year for sexual violence prevention
— the seven approved projects will be led by Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, Mount Saint Vincent University and the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents.

Additional Resources:
Committee Releases Guidelines for Sexual Violence Prevention on Campuses, https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20191009003

Guidelines for Nova Scotia Universities and the Nova Scotia Community College: Development of Survivor-Centric Sexual Violence Policies and Responses, https://novascotia.ca/lae/pubs/docs/development-of-survivor-centric-sexual-violence-policies-guidelines-for-universities-nscc.pdf

2019-24 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Province of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Universities, https://novascotia.ca/lae/HigherEducation/documents/MOU-between-the-Province-and-Nova-Scotia-Universities-2019.pdf

More resources for survivors and supporters, https://www.breakthesilencens.ca/

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