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To: Labi Kousoulis - Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, Government of Nova Scotia

What you can do for #metoo in Nova Scotia

Create legislation requiring that all post-secondary institutions in the province develop and implement adequate sexual violence prevention policies, and create oversight mechanisms to ensure that they are effectively implemented.

Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions, student groups, and community organisations so that they are able to implement sexual violence prevention policies thoroughly.

Why is this important?

[Not your Province? Find the petition for your Province here: https://you.leadnow.ca/efforts/what-you-can-do-for-metoo]

1 in 5 Canadian women will experience sexual assault while at university. Evidence suggests that these numbers are actually much higher due to the systemic barriers to reporting assaults that many women face. [1]

Universities have the means to prevent women from experiencing sexual assault and harassment on campus, but they need sufficient policies put in place to do that. Currently, almost no Canadian universities have adequate policies, and many have none at all. [2]

The provincial government needs to mandate that all post-secondary institutions implement sexual violence prevention policies, provide the funding necessary for them to do so, and create oversight mechanisms to hold those institutions to account.

Legislation should recommend that educational institutions’ sexual violence prevention policies have:

A Specific Immunity Clause for Drug and Alcohol Use
Protection from Face to Face Encounters During the Complaint Process
Survivor-Centric Interim Measures
Anonymous and Third Party Complaint Options
Recognition of the Intersectional Impacts of Sexual Violence
Required Sexual Violence Support and Sensitivity Training for all those involved in the Complaint Process
Independent Third Party Member of the Appeal Committee
Existence of Clear Timelines
Acknowledgment of Campus Rape Culture

Policies should not have:
Time limits for Filing a Formal Complaint
Threatening Sanctions for Vexatious, Malicious or False Complaints
Gag Order (During or Beyond the Complaint Process)
A Loophole whereby a complaint can be suspended if the respondent ends their relationship with the school (i.e. transfers or drops out) [3]

Sources:

[1][3] http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/4106721/Our-Turn-Action-Plan-Final-English-2.pdf
[2] http://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/universities-across-canada-implement-sexual-violence-policies/

Nova Scotia

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Updates

2017-10-19 05:57:11 -0400

100 signatures reached

2017-10-18 19:39:02 -0400

50 signatures reached

2017-10-18 18:50:18 -0400

25 signatures reached

2017-10-18 18:37:23 -0400

10 signatures reached