Gender-based violence happens around us every day, but too often it goes unnoticed and unaddressed.
To help shine a light on this global issue, groups from across the Dal community have joined together for the second year in a row to organize a campaign for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
The campaign begins Friday, November 25 鈥� the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 鈥� and ends on International Human Rights Day on December 10.
鈥淭he campaign really helps bring conversations about sexualized violence to the forefront and allows students and people in the community an opportunity to talk about them in a setting that is safe and comfortable,鈥� says Rebecca Stuckey, outreach and education coordinator at South House sexual and gender resource centre.
Learn more: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
worked alongside Dal鈥檚 Human Rights & Equity Service (HRES) office, the Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies program, and other groups across campus to organize this year鈥檚 campaign. The 16-day period also includes important dates like World Aids Day (December 1) and Canada鈥檚 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6).
Volunteers helped kick off the campaign in the Student Union Building on Thursday, sharing reasons for taking against against gender-based violence.
More than 20 events and initiatives have been finalized so far for this year鈥檚 Dal 16 Days campaign, including a number of talks with notable individuals. Rebecca Thomas, Halifax鈥檚 Poet Laureate, visits campus on December 1 to offer her insights on sharing lived experiences through spoken word. The following Monday, December 5, human-trafficking survivor Caroline Skydiver will share stories about her experiences.
On November 30, South House will offer students a chance to build their own 鈥渟elf-care toolkit.鈥� The session, at South House鈥檚 space on Seymour Street, will provide personalized suggestions and resources based on different people鈥檚 needs, says Stuckey.
鈥淚t鈥檚 what students want to make of it and what they want to take out of it,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e will have a number of different resources and materials there. We thought that was a good way to ensure that every student was getting what they need specifically, so everything isn鈥檛 just cookie-cutter.鈥�
Making connections, raising awareness
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